Griffin Turner: Ace Attorney : Talons of the Law :
by Orcaizer Al
Summary: Twenty years after the events of the original Ace Attorney game, a young rookie attorney takes the Defense Bench as he unlocks the mysteries of past cases and solves new ones. Title renamed.
1. Turnabout Tension

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Gyakuten Saiban / Ace Attorney. Capcom does. Any involvement of their characters in this story, whether they be defendants, victims, murderers, etc. are completely fictional and are made solely by me. Same goes for events and locations.

Underlined sentences are statements during a cross-examination (Trial Phase). Sentences enclosed in parentheses are Griffin's thoughts. Words enclosed in colons like :Gulp: are those weird onomatopoeia things.

Anyway, on to the story. Please read, criticize, and comment. Feel free to tell me if there are any mistakes in grammar.

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**CHAPTER ONE: TURNABOUT TENSION**

**Prologue:**

_A man walks out of one of the city's pubs. He's intoxicated, and is walking as if he were on the moon._

"_Damn show… Was as borin' as hell…" the man mumbled as he continued walking through the dark streets of the city._

_All of a sudden, a dark figure jumps in front of the drunk. He holds a knife in his hand, and stabs the drunk immediately. The drunk bleeds profusely, still mumbling incomprehensible words. And then he blacks out—dead._

_His attacker makes his escape, muttering something in a low voice._

"_That's what you get for insulting my show, idiot."_

_

* * *

_

**Trial:**

**March 1, 2036; 9:38 AM; District Court, Defendant Lobby**

"This is it… This is the day the world will know the name of the future #1 defense attorney: Griffin Turner!"

Okay, so I was a little hyperactive that day… My name is Griffin Turner, and that was my first time in court. See, I just passed my Bar Examinations two weeks ago prior to that date. Damn, that test was so hard I hardly know how I passed. A friend of mine said that "I had a gift for patterns", but I didn't really get what he meant. A lot of people thought I was a bit young to be an attorney, though… But hey, I'm 20. I'm sure I can handle intense court battles, present evidence and stuff! … (I think.)

Right now I'm working at Turner and Co. Law Offices. No, it's not mine. It's my sister's. Since I started working there, sis had been acting as my mentor. Since this was my first case, she would also be supervising at the Co-Council seat.

"Griffin! The defendant's here. Are you ready for the trial?" my older sister said.

My older sister, Midori Turner, you could say looks a lot like a female version of me… with glasses. The thing that most people notice about us siblings is that we both have orange hair (Though she never ends up getting called "Flamehead" by random strangers on the street… Hey, my hair is unique, yo!). Midori's 5 years my senior, and she's been a lawyer for 3 years already. She's a tough defense attorney, Midori… She's actually kinda like a role model to me, and I was really hoping to win my first case. I sure didn't wanna disappoint sis.

"Yeah, I'm ready, sis," I replied. "The defendant… You've met him before, right?"

"Not just I, Griffin," Midori said. "…You've met him too."

"I did?" I asked, puzzled. "Really? I don't remember meeting any electric guitarists before…"

"… You'll remember it soon, I guess," Midori said.

"Hey there…" a man with a familiar-sounding voice said.

(That must be the defendant…)

The man had a green beret on and was wearing rounded sunglasses. He didn't look too much like a rocker like I expected him to; he was wearing a denim jacket on top of normal clothes. Not a single piece of leather in sight. One could mistake him for an ultra-clean hobo if those ever existed… He's also got a burn of his left eye… It resembles an axe.

"So I hear this little kid's gonna be defending me today? Aww, ain't that cute." the man continued.

(Little kid…? Hey! Did he just call me a molecule so small it can't even be viewed with the most advanced microscope?! More importantly… did he just call me… CUTE?! Sis, exactly who is this person?)

"Er…" I tried to reply, but couldn't. Thank goodness sis filled me in on some details.

"Griffin," Midori said, "This is the defendant, currently known by his stage name 'Tension Dude'. As you may already know, he's been accused of murdering a man who insulted his performance at the Thundershock Cravat club last night…"

"Wait…" I said. "M-M-Murder? Sis, you didn't mention that before!"

"I… I didn't? … Oops…" Midori said. "Sorry, Griffin, I forgot you didn't like stuff that involved death…"

(Uh-oh… I don't like that look on Midori's face… Wait… She couldn't be thinking…?)

"Griffin", Midori said, "Maybe you're not yet ready for this… I could take over if you want."

"B-But…" I replied, "But I'm sure I'm ready! I've been watching all your trials and taking down notes, I was practicing my 'Objection!' all week! Please, sis, let me go through with this trial! It's my first one, and I'm gonna win it even if the thought of murder does make me a bit… uh… queasy. Please? Pretty please?"

"Heh," I heard Tension Dude say. "You can't blame him for his enthusiasm. Go on then, Midori. Let him handle the case. Should be a hell of a lotta' fun, hmm?"

I saw Midori think for a while, and then… She agreed. So it was settled. I was going to head that case, and I was gonna win it!

(Time to step into the courtroom!)

* * *

**March 1, 10:00 AM; District Court, Courtroom #1**

BANG!

The Judge had just banged his gavel, signaling the start of the trial. From what I've heard, the Judge for this trial was a younger cousin of the "Fickle-Hearted Judge", "Udgey". Though I can't really tell whether he's young or not… Those gray muttonchops take up around 65.4 percent of his face.

"Court is now in session for the trial of… er, 'Tension Dude'", the Judge said. "Is the prosecution ready?"

"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor," Winston Payne, the prosecutor, said.

(I actually wonder why this prosecutor, Winston Payne… Why's he still one? I mean he must be at least 72 by now… People call him the "Rookie Killer", but, to be honest, I don't find him intimidating at all. Sure, he's completely bald, except for a little curly topknot on his head, and he has freaky glasses, but I'm sure any rookie defense attorney can beat him.)

"Very well then, Prosecutor Payne…" the Judge continued. "Is the defense ready?"

"Everything's in tip-top shape with the defense, Your Honor! Believe it!" I said.

The people in the courtroom suddenly began muttering stuff. I must have goofed up…

"Um…" the Judge said to me. "Er… You are Mr. Griffin Turner, are you not?"

(!! Uh-oh… Did I just say "Believe it!" out loud? Okay, so I DID goof up…)

"Uh… Yes I am, Your Honor," I replied.

"Well…" the Judge said, "I didn't think I'd see you in the Defense Bench so soon. You only graduated 2 weeks ago, am I correct? I actually thought that it would be your sister heading this case…"

"Uh…" I tried to reply, but couldn't—again.

"Your Honor, I'm very much confident that my younger brother and subordinate is ready for this trial," Midori suddenly said. "Though he has only been a defense attorney for 2 weeks, I've seen him take down notes whenever he accompanies me on my own trials, and he's been practicing his 'Objection!' all week. Your Honor, I have full confidence in Griffin. I'm sure he can handle this."

"Sis…" I said. "Thanks for saving my butt!"

"No problem," Midori said. "Just promise me that you'll win this case with flying colors!"

BANG!

"Very well then," the Judge said, "Let us continue this trial. Prosecutor Payne, your opening statement, please."

"Yes, Your Honor," Payne said. "At precisely 12:00 midnight, a man, Naldo Bleavitt, was found dead outside the Thundershock Cravat club. The defendant, under the name of 'Tension Dude' was the only one to be found at the scene of the crime. The defendant's assumed motive is to get revenge."

"Revenge…?" the Judge asked.

"Yes, Your Honor," Payne continued. "Apparently, Mr. Bleavitt insulted the defendant's performance that night, and… things took a turn for the worse. Not only that, but also… the defendant was holding… this."

Payne presented a knife. It had bloodstains on it and was kinda rusty.

"The presumed murder weapon…" Payne continued, seemingly brandishing the object. His topknot was also… well, _dancing_. Disturbing… "Take _that_, rookie!"

(Huh? Was he… talking to me?)

Bloody knife added to the Court Record.

"Okay, Griffin," Midori said. "That piece of evidence was just added to the Court Record. Every piece of evidence you encounter in court or in investigations goes automatically to the Court Record, and you can check it anytime you want. Right now, it contains the Autopsy Report, the Murder Weapon, and… of course—"

"My Attorney's Badge!" I said proudly. "Maybe I should check out the evidence first?"

I selected the Autopsy Report first. It said:

VICTIM: NALDO BLEAVITT

ESTIMATED TIME OF DEATH: 12:00-12:05 AM

CAUSE OF DEATH: SINGLE STAB TO THE STOMACH; DEATH WAS CAUSED BY INTERNAL BLEEDING.

"Okay then," Midori said. "Remember, you can also check the evidence at every angle by zooming in and rotating it. That should help you find significant details in the evidence."

I selected the Bloody Knife next. I zoomed in, and saw that its model was the "Double-Screw" type. I turned it clockwise, then counterclockwise. One thing I found was a strange white rubbery thing on the tang of the knife. The handle was also broken: it was missing a screw. I wasn't sure what was important about it at the time being, but I updated the Court Record anyway.

Bloody Knife information updated.

"Also…" Midori said, "You can check profiles with the Court Record."

"Profiles…" I said. "Right!"

(Maybe I oughtta check those right now…)

PROFILES:

**Midori Turner**

Age: 25

My older sister, mentor, and head of Turner and Co. Law Offices. She's currently one of the Top 5 defense attorneys in the state.

**"Tension Dude"**

Age: 30

The defendant, an electric guitarist at the Thundershock Cravat club. He looks somewhat familiar, but I just can't quite put my finger on it…

**Naldo Bleavitt**

Age: 31

The victim, and a frequent customer at the Thundershock Cravat. Insulted the defendant's performance on the night of the incident.

**Winston Payne**

Age: 72

The prosecutor for this case. He's something of a veteran, but he still doesn't have much of a presence…

(Looks like that's all I need to know for now… The Court Record'll provide me with some ammo for this trial!)

"Hmm…" the Judge said. "Well, perhaps the defendant should testify about the incident first?"

So Tension Dude took the stand…

"Defendant…" the Judge asked Tension Dude. "Why do I have this feeling that I've seen you before…? Anyway, please testify to the court about what happened on the night of the incident."

"Sure," Tension Dude said with a yawn. "Whatever you say, whatever you say…"

**TESTIMONY BEGINS**

"I was just doing my job that night, you know; playing my electric guitar for the customers and stuff," Tension Dude said. "Now it ain't my fault if some people don't like how I play… If they boo at me, I don't care. … So when the show was done, I packed up my guitar, and went out. I was the last to exit the club 'cuz I had to put away the other guys' instruments. I went out, and I just saw this dead guy out in front of the club. I didn't know who he was, but I just picked up the knife next to him without thinking. I guess that was when the cops caught me 'red-handed' or something."

"Defendant…" the Judge said. "You do realize that the victim of this case, apparently, insulted your performance… You say that you don't care whether customers hate your show, then?"

"Yep, that's what I said," Tension Dude replied. "I really wouldn't have any motive to kill, really. But if you really want to convict me, then I wouldn't care about that."

"I'm not sure I care much for your attitude," the Judge said to Tension Dude.

"I'm not sure I care much for your muttonchops, but you don't see me complainin'," Tension Dude said with yet another yawn.

"…! Er, well… The defense may now begin its cross-examination," the Judge said, flustered.

"Griffin," Midori said. "You do remember how to do a cross-examination, right?"

"Well…" I mumbled. (Oh crap! I forgot!)

"Listen here," Midori continued. "During a cross-examination, you've got two weapons: Pressing and Presenting. You can press a statement in their testimony so you can hear more about the details. If you find contradictions in the statement, however, you can present a piece of evidence to show the court what the contradiction is. Got it?"

"Yeah, well…" I said. "Sis, I'm… I'm not really good at finding contradictions… What if I screw up?"

"Well…" Midori continued, "You could always use your _special ability_."

(I don't think that helped much… Oh well, I guess I should just go on with the cross-examination.)

"Is the defense ready to start the cross-examination?" the Judge asked.

"Yes, Your Honor," I said.

**CROSS-EXAMINATION**

"I was just doing my job that night, you know; playing my electric guitar for the customers and stuff."

HOLD IT!

"So… Uh… Was the show successful?" I asked.

"Heh, I really don't care if my show's 'successful' or not," Tension Dude said. "I just play because I need to earn a livin' for myself, and that's that."

"Uh… right," I said. (This guy's not exactly the most cooperative, now is he?)

"Now it ain't my fault if some people don't like how I play… If they boo at me, I don't care."

HOLD IT!

"So… DID you get a 'boo' from the audience?" I asked.

"Yeah, I did," Tension Dude said. "I didn't mind it, but one of my co-workers, Dash Headdon, gives all of us hell every time we get even one 'boo'. In case you didn't know, me and the other guys play as a band, so I wouldn't be the only one to blame if the audience hates our performance."

"Okay…" I continued. "Could you… could you tell us more about this Headdon guy?"

OBJECTION!

"That…" Payne said, "Is irrelevant to this case. What matters is that 'Tension Dude' has a motive for killing Mr. Bleavitt: to get revenge for his performance getting insulted!"

OBJECTION!

"Prosecutor Payne," I said, "The defendant has clearly stated that he didn't care whether he got bad ratings or not. The one who apparently dislikes this is that Headdon guy!"

(Wow! My first actual "Objection"! I hope that went well!)

"Yes, Prosecutor," the Judge said. "The defendant… has established an alibi. He has already said that he didn't care for bad ratings, and, unless he is lying, that would terminate the tentative motive for him to kill Mr. Bleavitt."

"M-My apologies, Your Honor," Payne said.

(YEAH! Score one for the defense team!)

" … So when the show was done, I packed up my guitar, and went out. I was the last to exit the club 'cuz I had to put away the other guys' instruments."

HOLD IT!

"You 'put away the other guys' instruments'?" I asked.

"Yeah, we take shifts putting away the instruments after we perform," Tension Dude said. "It just so happened that I was supposed to do so that night."

"And around what time was this?" I asked Tension Dude again.

"I dunno, probably midnight," Tension Dude answered. "I didn't have a watch, you know. The last time I was informed of the time was at 8:30 PM, around the time our shows start. And since our shows last up to three-and-a-half hours, I'd assume it was midnight, yeah."

"And how long did it take you to put away the instruments?" I asked further.

"I think it was around 10 minutes," Tension Dude said. "After that I packed up my own guitar and left. And that was when I saw the dead guy."

"So you spent 10 minutes in the putting away the instruments," the Judge said. "What happened next?"

"I went out, and I just saw this dead guy out in front of the club…" 

HOLD IT!

"So Mr. Bleavitt was already dead when you saw him?" I asked.

"Uh, yeah," Tension Dude said with a bit of an irritated look on his face. "Did I not just say that?"

(Ugh… Musicians.)

"Anyway," Tension Dude continued, "I approached the guy, and…"

"I didn't know who he was, but I just picked up the knife next to him without thinking."

HOLD IT!

"Why did you pick up the knife?" I asked.

"I'm not sure, kid," Tension Dude said. "It looked familiar to me somehow, like in a case—I mean, in an 'event' I handled before."

"Familiar? An event?" I continued. "Could you, uh, tell us about this?"

"Sorry, but I'm not at liberty to speak to you about that," Tension Dude answered.

(Damn… Maybe I should press something else.)

"I guess that was when the cops caught me 'red-handed' or something."

HOLD IT!

"How could they be sure that you were the perpetrator?" I asked.

OBJECTION!

"Sorry, Mr. Turner," Payne said with a weird grin. "There was a **witness **to the crime 'Tension Dude' committed. Ergo…"

("Ergo"? Who does he think he is: Mr. Edgeworth?)

"The defendant," Payne continued with his hair still dancing, "The defendant is already guilty."

"WHAAAAT?!" I suddenly blurted out.

BANG!

"Prosecutor Payne…" the Judge said, "Who is this witness you speak of?"

"Your Honor, the witness is none other than the lead guitarist at the Thundershock Cravat club," Payne said. "Dash Headdon!"

("Headdon"? Wait a minute…)

OBJECTION!!!

I found myself slamming my desk after that. I pointed at Payne and said, "Prosecutor Payne! You just said a few minutes ago that Headdon was irrelevant to this case…! **Yet now you are claiming that he IS relevant?!**"

"I… er, well…" Payne muttered. I could see some sweat drops form on his brow. He soon regained his composure, though. "My mistake. I apologize."

BANG!

"That's quite alright, Prosecutor," the Judge said. "Mr. Turner, you, however, should probably find contradictions in the defendant's statement, NOT the prosecutor's!"

(Gah! Dammit! That didn't go so well…)

"Griffin? What's wrong?" Midori asked.

"Sis…" I said. "I told you… that I sucked at finding contradictions… I messed up…"

BANG!

"Seeing as we may need to contact this witness and ask him to testify, I am now giving a 10-minute recess," the Judge said.

* * *

**March 1, 12:08 PM; District Court, Defendant Lobby**

"Sis…" I said. "I really messed up, didn't I?"

"Now, now, Griffin," Midori said. "You didn't mess up. You just found a contradiction in Payne's statement is all. Though you really should focus on the statements of the one testifying, what you did was only expected. I mean, Payne isn't necessarily the best prosecutor in the bunch; he always ends up saying things he shouldn't in court."

"Hey kid!" Tension Dude said. "You didn't do half-bad in there. I mean, you ain't exactly a pro, but I guess the way you cross-examined me was a-little-above-average, you know? I mean, you're still a rookie. I actually thought you were gonna burst into tears and whine like a baby in there when that prosecutor said there was a witness to my 'crime'… Heh."

(Gee, thanks for the "encouragement", Tension Dude…)

"So… uh, did this Headdon guy really see you 'in the act'?" I asked Tension Dude.

"… He's a sneaky guy, Headdon," Tension Dude said. "I wouldn't be surprised if HE murdered Bleavitt. I mean, he's been known to sucker-punch customers who boo him when he's on stage… or worse, even"

(You don't say… Wait…)

"Uh, Tension Dude?" I asked. "You don't think… Headdon killed Mr. Bleavitt, do you?"

"I can't say, kid," Tension Dude said. "THAT… You'll have to find out in court."

(Okay then… Let's see who this Headdon really is…)

* * *

**March 1, 12:18 PM; District Court, Courtroom #1**

BANG!

"Court shall now resume for the trial of 'Tension Dude'," the Judge said. "Prosecutor Payne, you may now call forth your witness."

"The court calls upon Dash Headdon," Payne said. "Please take the stand."

Soon, an incredibly huge man with a leather choker and a metallic blue Mohawk took the stand. He had a lot of piercings on his face, and he had that _"Mess with me and I'm gonna roll yer body up and toss it in the lake"_ kind of look on his face. I felt like he would rip my jugular out through my ear if I cross-examined him…

"Hey, freaky shaolin guy!" Headdon said to Payne, "You better make this quick! I gotta go somewhere right now!"

"Er, um, yessir!" Payne said, obviously scared. "Will the w-witness please state his name and profession?"

"UEAAAAAHHHH!!!!" said Headdon, doing some air-guitar movements. "I am the almighty DAAAAAASH HEEEEEAAAADDOOOOOON, the official King of Heavy Metal and the city's #1 Electric Guitarist! WUZZAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"

(Okay. He OFFICIALLY creeps me out.)

I added Headdon to the profiles list. He was creepy, but I still had to document him as a witness.

**Dash Headdon**

Age: 35

- Lead guitarist at the Thundershock Cravat. Seems to enjoy screaming like a rock star at random times.

(Okay, now let's get to his testimony.)

"Er…" the Judge mumbled, apparently at a loss for words after Headdon's act, "Mr. Headdon, you may now testify."

**TESTIMONY BEGINS**

"OOOEEAAAHHHHH!!!" Headdon yelled again. "Gladly! I had just finished my performance… I must say, it was a hell of a rockin' show, damn straight! EVERYBODY loved it. So after that, I packed up my guitar…"

"I see you have a band-aid on your thumb…" the Judge said. "Would you mind telling us where you got that from?"

(It's just a band-aid, Your Honor…)

"Well," Headdon continued. "After I packed my guitar, my thumb accidentally got caught in one of 'em steel strings. I had to bandage it with a piece of rubber from my outfit. The audience was gone, anyways, so I di'n't mind it if my jacket got ruined."

"You cut your thumb?" the Judge asked. "Uh… Is it possible to cut your thumb on the string of an instrument?"

"Yeah, I did!" Headdon said. "It hurt a lot, too! Anyway, after I came out, I saw this drunk. I figured he was from the audience earlier. I di'n't mind him, until I saw Tension Dufus attack him! He came from outta nowhere, and then he stabbed this drunk over and over again! AAIEEEEHHH!!! That was some murder, and to be honest I di'n't think Tension Dufus would do such a thing."

"… Alright then," the Judge said. "The defense may now cross-examine the witness."

"CRAWS-EX AM INN?" Headdon yelled. "Whazzat? Is that yellow-belly over there gonna open me up or something?"

(Oh, boy…)

"Griffin," Midori asked. "Are you ready?"

"I hope I am, sis," I said. "There's no telling what this guy could do…"

**CROSS-EXAMINATION**

"I had just finished my performance… I must say, it was a hell of a rockin' show, damn straight!"

HOLD IT!

"By 'rockin', do you mean it was… good?" I asked.

"GOOD? It was BETTER than GOOD!" Headdon yelled. "I had the audience at the edge of their seats!"

"You must be a really good musician then!" the Judge said. He looked amazed, though I honestly didn't believe that Headdon could be that good a musician.

"OH YEAH, I AM!" Headdon exclaimed. "That's why…"

"EVERYBODY loved it."

HOLD IT!

"Everybody, huh?" I said. "Mr. Headon, according to Tension Dude's testimony earlier, there was someone who insulted your performance."

"… 'Insulted'?" Headdon sneered. "I'll have you know anyone who insults my show… well, they'd never see my show ever again."

"You mean you kick them out of the club?" the Judge asked. "Like a permanent ban?"

"You could say that…" said Headdon with an evil grin. "Permanent, yeah…"

"Alright then," the Judge said. "Carry on!"

(I don't think the Judge understood at all…)

"After that, I packed up my guitar, but my thumb got caught on one of 'em steel strings. I had to bandage it with a piece of rubber from my outfit."

HOLD IT!

"A… piece of rubber?" I asked.

"Yeah… this," Headdon said, presenting a white band taken from the collar of his jacket. "I dunno if this means anything, but you can keep it. A souvenir from the Heavy Metal King, you could say."

"Or evidence," Payne said.

"Uh…" I said, "HOW DOES THIS COUNT AS EVIDENCE?!"

"Er, well…" Payne mumbled, "The witness insisted that this was evidence."

"But that doesn't match up to the rules of Evidence Law…!" I said.

"Then let's accept it as informal evidence," the Judge said.

(Fanboy…)

White Rubber Band added to the Court Record.

(Maybe I should check this "evidence"…)

I examined the white band. It had a tear in the middle and a large piece of it was missing. What it didn't have, however, were bloodstains. I thought it was weird for a rubber band used to bandage a cut to not have any bloodstains.

White Rubber Band information updated.

"Anyway, after I came out, I saw this drunk. I figured he was from the audience earlier."

HOLD IT!

"How did you know he was from the audience?" I asked.

"… I've seen that man before," Headdon answered. "He likes to boo at the other guitarists, while he praises ME. He's a… a critic, I guess."

"You've seen him before?" I continued. "Wait… There was a man who insulted your performance that night, right? And this drunk you encountered, you say he was from the audience, and you also say that he was a critic… That man, Naldo Bleavitt, WAS the man who insulted your performance!"

"Yeah, so?" Headdon said. I could tell he was looking a bit nervous. "Like I said before, I'd normally 'ban' anyone who gives me a bad rating, but that guy just insulted the OTHER guitarists, and praised ME. I'd have no grudge against him."

(Darn it!)

"I di'n't mind him, until I saw Tension Dufus attack him! He came from outta nowhere, and he stabbed this drunk over and over again! AAIEEEEHHH!!!"

HOLD IT!

"You saw the actual moment of the murder, then?" I asked.

"Yeah, I did," Headdon said. "It was terrifying!"

"Griffin!" Midori said. "Don't you think there's something fishy about that statement?"

"Uh… I dunno," I said.

(Ugh… Could there be something in the Court Record that shows if there's a contradiction in his statement?)

COURT RECORD:

ATTORNEY'S BADGE

- My treasured Attorney's Badge. Having it on makes me feel like a real man!

AUTOPSY REPORT

- The Autopsy Report of the victim, Naldo Bleavitt. Death was caused by internal bleeding, the victim was stabbed once.

BLOODY KNIFE

- The presumed murder weapon. It seems a bit broken.

WHITE RUBBER BAND

- A piece of rubber from Dash Headdon's jacket.

I took a look at the Court Record again, and then it came to me.

OBJECTION!!!

I found myself doing yet another desk slam. Then I pointed to Headdon.

"Mr. Headdon…" I said. "You say that you saw the defendant, Tension Dude, murdering Mr. Bleavitt. You also said that he 'stabbed the drunk over and over again'."

"What of it?" Headdon said.

"Well, according to the Autopsy Report," I began, "Naldo Bleavitt was killed due to a '**Single stab to the stomach'**!" I did another desk slam. "Mr. Bleavitt was only stabbed ONCE, but you say that you saw Tension Dude stab him MULTIPLE TIMES! This is clearly a contradiction!"

"Wha…? WHAAAAAAAAAAAHHT?!" Headdon yelled.

OBJECTION!

"T-The witness merely made a mistake!" Payne, who was beginning to look nervous, said. "He just witnessed a murder, and it's quite expected for him to be a bit disorientated!"

OBJECTION!

"Prosecutor Payne," I said. "Disorientation is not an excuse for forgetting such a crucial thing!"

"No! Wait!" Headdon yelled again. He was already sweating. "I… I remember now! So the drunk was stabbed once… But I think the reason that I thought Tension Dufus stabbed him multiple times was… because of the knife itself! It was an illusion!"

"… Witness!" the Judge said. "Please add this to your testimony!"

"So the drunk was stabbed once… But I think the reason that I thought Tension Dufus stabbed him multiple times was… because of the knife itself! It was an illusion!"

HOLD IT!

"The knife itself? An illusion? I don't think I follow, Mr. Headdon," I said.

"Well, it's kinda simple! … Okay, maybe no so simple…" Headdon said, still acting weird. "That knife… It musta been so strong and fast so when it only struck once, it looked like it was striking multiple times! I mean, the murderer… he… he waved the knife around, you know!"

(That's not right… I KNOW that can't be right…)

OBJECTION!!!

"Mr. Headdon!" I said. "You've made another crucial mistake!"

"Huh?" Headdon said. "Wha… What the hell do you think you're talkin' about?"

"Mr. Headdon…" I said. "You just said that you thought the knife was 'so strong and fast' that when it only struck once, it looked as if it were striking multiple times, am I correct? Well… that knife definitely couldn't have been 'strong and fast' like you just stated, Mr. Headdon, and I can prove it!"

I presented the murder weapon.

"The murder weapon?" the Judge asked. "Er… What's wrong with it?"

"If you look closely…" I said, "You'll notice that the handle's a bit broken. With a knife in such a shape as this, I'd say it couldn't be 'strong and fast' as Mr. Headdon says. That, plus this knife could only be… uh, well, I'd estimate that it could only be used ONCE."

OBJECTION!

"What of it, then?" Payne said. "YOU already said that the victim was only stabbed once! Your Honor, the defense is stalling for time!"

OBJECTION!

"Prosecutor Payne…" I said. "True, I already proved that the victim was only stabbed once, but that's not what I'm talking about right now."

(Yeah, here comes the good part!)

"For the knife to 'look' as if it had struck multiple times…" I said. "It had to have been waved around or something. BUT, if the knife was already in that state, i.e., having a broken handle, then it COULD NOT have been waved around by the murderer! If that happened, the blade would fall off! Think about it. Let's say the knife was already used before the stabbing and got broken during that time. If it was used again, the damage to the handle would only get worse, and the blade would fall off!"

"GAH!!!" both Payne and Headdon said. Both were looking nervous.

The crowd began to get noisy. The Judge had to bang his gavel and shout a really loud "ORDER!" for them to shut up.

"Hehehehe…" Payne began to sneer again. His topknot was also beginning to dance again. Disturbing…

"You almost got me there, rookie," he said. "So the murder weapon couldn't have been waved around because it was broken… BUT, if that were the case, then it couldn't have been used to stab the victim either! See there? Looks like what you just said was just baseless conjecture!"

"Wha… WHAAAAT?!" I said, shocked.

(That can't be! It's not true! It's… IMPOSSIBLE!!! … That knife is definitely the murder weapon, but it couldn't have been waved around by the murderer! Damn it! C'mon now, Griffin… Think, think, think! Wait…)

OBJECTION!

"Wait!" I said. "That knife is obviously the murder weapon! All I'm saying is that the murderer couldn't have waved it around after it was used to stab Mr. Bleavitt…"

I did another desk slam. I was starting to get used to those…

"But that doesn't rule out the fact that the knife WAS used to stab the victim!" I said.

"Heh…" Payne said. "Persistent, aren't you, Mr. Turner? Your redundant sentences won't help you, boy! Since the knife's broken, and we have no way of telling _when_ it broke, then we also have no idea if it was indeed used to stab the victim."

"I say it was broken before the murder!" I said.

"Hmm…" the Judge said. "Mr. Turner, you seem really convinced that this knife is indeed the murder weapon… But you also say that it couldn't have been, er, 'waved around'. Please show us proof that the knife was truly broken _before_ the murder."

I took another look at the knife. For some reason, a pattern was already forming in my head. I knew exactly what to present, and I presented… the knife.

TAKE THAT!

"Er… the knife? Again?" the Judge said.

"Fufufufu…" Payne said. "Like I said, this boy is redundant. It's quite obvious he's grasping."

"Heh!" Headdon said. "What show are you runnin' here, kid? It's PUH-ZE-DICK!"

(You spelled 'pathetic' wrong, Mohawk boy…)

"Your Honor!" I said. "Take another close look at the knife, please."

"Hmm?" the Judge said. "Oh, sure… Ah! The handle! It's… It's missing a screw!"

"Exactly!" I continued. "The model of the knife is a 'Double-Screw', and it won't function properly with only one. For it to be used, well, it should have both screws intact. If it had only one screw, the blade would go all wonky and stuff and obviously the knife CAN'T be used. Obviously, this knife lost the screw before the murder… No one would waste their time taking off a screw from a knife after they've already stabbed someone with it."

"B-But how could it have been used to stab the victim if it was already missing a screw?" Payne asked. His topknot wasn't dancing then, it was swaying. Still disturbing… "Your Honor! I told you the defense was grasping!"

"Uh… well, I say _something else_ held the knife together when it was used to stab the victim," I said. "Not only that, I think whatever it was that held the knife together could also tell us who the REAL murderer is!"

OBJECTION!

"But the defendant was the only one found at the scene of the crime holding the said knife!" Payne said. "There COULDN'T be anyone else!"

OBJECTION!

"I'm afraid that's not what the evidence is saying, Prosecutor!" I said.

BANG!

"Intriguing…" the Judge said. "Very well, please show us what was used to hold the knife together… You also said that whatever it is that held the knife together can also prove who the real murderer is… Mr. Turner, I pray for your sake this isn't a joke."

It was all coming to me right then. The pattern that formed in my head was complete. I knew what I had to do, and presented the White Rubber Band.

TAKE THAT!

"T-The band used to bandage Mr. Headdon's thumb?" the Judge asked.

"Wha… What is this?" Headdon yelled. "What stunt are ya tryin' to pull, huh?"

"I'll tell you what 'stunt' I'm trying to pull," I said. "It's called **'Dash Headdon, Time to Confess'**!"

OBJECTION!

"A-Are you mad?" Payne said. "You're b-b-blaming the witness for the murder? Y-Y-You can't prove that this band tells us that the witness murdered Mr. Bleavitt!"

OBJECTION!

"Prosecutor Payne, it's obvious," I said. "Recall what Mr. Headdon said earlier in his testimony: he said that he got his thumb caught in one of his guitar strings, and he had to bandage it with a piece of rubber from his outfit. Why then, I ask you, doesn't the band have any bloodstains on it? It WAS supposedly used to bandage a wounded thumb, after all. And since the murder took place only last night, some drops of blood should still remain. I'll tell you why… It's because the band wasn't used to bandage his thumb, it was used to hold the knife together when he murdered Mr. Bleavitt!"

"UAAAAAAAAAAHH!!!" Headdon yelled. "HOW DARE YOU! You! You can't prove that! C'MON!!! PROVE THAT I USED THAT BAND TO HOLD THE KNIFE TOGETHER! Oh wait. You can't! That's 'cuz I had nothin' to do with this, other than bein' a witness!"

(Proof that the band really did hold the knife together? You asked for it.)

TAKE THAT!

"What is your obsession with that knife, anyway?" Headdon taunted, but I could still see that he was nervous.

"Take a look at the tang of the knife," I said. "Now doesn't that piece of rubber stuck on the tang look familiar?"

"No… NOOO!!!" Headdon yelled. He began pulling on his Mohawk. It was a wig…!

(Gotcha!)

"I think I know what happened…" I continued. "Naldo Bleavitt insulted your performance that night, as he did every night he goes to your club, and you got mad. You said that 'whoever insulted your show never watched it again'. You wanted to kill Mr. Bleavitt! You used that rubber band to hold the knife together and stab him, and when that was done, you took off the band and threw the knife on the ground. The band got stuck on the knife, however, so you tore it off, leaving a piece of it behind. After that, Tension Dude came out of the club and saw the body. Then YOU came out and blamed it all on him! Am I correct, Mr. Headdon?"

"… GRAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!! NNOOOOOO!!!!! WEIAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!" Headdon yelled. "ALRIGHT! I DID IT!!! I murdered that idiot who insulted my show! NO ONE insults the Heavy Metal King! No one, I tell you! NO ONE!!!! YEEIAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!! HEADDON! APPLY DIRECTLY TO THE FOREHEEEEEEAAAAAD!!!" Then he ripped off his Mohawk wig and collapsed.

… The courtroom was silent. Both Payne and the Judge were stunned. Payne must have been so stunned, that even his topknot fell off his head.

(I did it…)

…

BANG!

"Well, that was certainly… a 'lively' trial," the Judge said. "Prosecutor, what became of Mr. Headdon?"

"He has been arrested, Your Honor," Payne said.

"Very well then," the Judge said, "In light of these events, this court finds the defendant…"

**NOT GUILTY**

"Erm, alright," the Judge said. "Court is now adjourned!"

BANG!

* * *

**March 1, 2:24 PM; District Court, Defendant Lobby**

(I did it! I won! Oh yeah! Go me! Go me! Man if I were at a Football Field right now, I'd do one of those victory dances! WHOO!)

"Griffin!!" Midori said. "Congratulations on winning your first case!"

"Thanks, sis!" I said. "Man, if you hadn't helped, I probably would have been toast in there!"

"You're welcome, Griffin, but…" Midori said, "You yourself won that case. Remember? Your special ability?"

"Huh?" I asked.

"Griffin…" Midori continued. "You're a prodigy. You can form patterns in your head almost instantly and figure out what's what. THAT is your special ability. That's what, along with your perseverance, helped you win this trial. I really am proud of you."

"Hey there, kid," Tension Dude said. "You did well today. Looks like Headdon finally got what he deserved."

"Uh… thanks, Tension Dude," I said.

"You… You've changed a lot, you know," Tension Dude said. "You're not like the old Griffin I used to know… I'm proud of you, really. Well, see ya." He left after saying this.

"Huh?" I said, confused. "Wait! Tension Dude!"

He already left, though. One more person to congratulate me was, well, someone I didn't really expect (Or wanted to see, for that matter.). It was Winston Payne. Yes, he and his freaky bald, topknot-less head came to congratulate me.

"Prosecutor Payne?" I asked.

"Congratulations, rookie," he said. "You beat me… You're the 25th one to do so, actually. First Ms. Fey, then Mr. Wright, then Mr. Lawson, and a bunch of other new defense attorneys… Now you. I'm getting a bit rusty at this job, aren't I?"

"Well…" I mumbled.

"Heh…" Payne said. "You don't have to tell me. I've decided to retire, anyway… I'm getting too old for this. Anyway, I've come to tell you that there'll be a new prosecutor around here to replace me. Boy, that new prosecutor's a genius. You may have beaten me, but I'm afraid you're no match for him. If you beat him, then I'll be even more surprised. Well, I guess I have to go now…"

Payne left. Sis and I were already planning on leaving, until I bumped into someone.

"Watch where you're going!" the man I bumped into said. He had a strangely long scar on the left side of his face, and he wore green glasses. He was scary, to say the least. And… he was the new prosecutor. Somehow I knew… that I would be facing him in court very soon… And I wasn't sure if I'd ever be able to get Midori's help again, too.


	2. Chemical Formula for Turnabout Day 1

Chapter Two, Part One.

This chapter introduces the Investigation Phase system that will follow through with the rest of the story. This particular chapter also makes mentions of characters, places, and events from the original games that you may all be familiar with. Said characters, themes, and event's aren't mine, so please refer to the disclaimer.

As always, please read, criticize, and comment.

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO: THE CHEMICAL FORMULA FOR TURNABOUT**

**Prologue:**

_A man is found dead in his house in the mountains. A blow to the head killed him in five minutes or less. Papers are scattered all over the desk where he was sitting. On that same desk is a bizarre green stone. It's broken, but still has a distinct shape. Next to the dead man is the murder weapon…_

_The murder weapon, an old stone rod… The perpetrator, unknown…_

_The defendant, an all too familiar face…_

* * *

**Day One:**

**April 14, 6:15 AM; Turner and Co. Law Offices**

"Kurain Village?" I asked my sister. "Uh… exactly where is that place and why do you want me to go there?"

"Oh come now, Griffin," Midori said. "It's not that far. It's only a small village in the mountains and takes two hours by train to get to. I need you to deliver a parcel containing files from an old case to a previous client of mine. It just so happens he's currently living in that village and, since I have more paperwork to do, I can't deliver it to him personally. I'm sorry if this is going to take up your time, but this parcel has a deadline, you see."

"Well, okay, I'll deliver that parcel," I said. "But when I get back, you gotta promise me you'll get a gumball machine in here, okay?"

"Why do you want a gumball machine?" Midori asked, chuckling a bit.

"Er… for the clients, of course!" I said, twiddling my fingers. "It's not like I had any intentions of getting free gumballs while I work or anything… hehe…"

(Aww, and I really wanted some gumballs…)

"… Sure, Griffin," Midori said with a slight smirk. "Well, you'd better get going. The second set of trains is leaving in 15 minutes."

"Roger that!" I said while doing a small salute, and left the office.

…………

Being cooped up on a train for two hours has got to be one of the most dull and uneventful things that ever happened in my life. It was really boring in there, but the cool mountain view made up for it. At long last, I finally reached the village.

* * *

**April 14, 8:30 AM; Kurain Village**

"So this is Kurain Village…" I said to myself. "Not too shabby-looking, but I think the whole 'Feudal Age' theme has gotta go."

The village was small. It had a small phone booth, a shaded bench area, and a few shops. The rest of the village was filled with traditional Japanese houses, so I assumed that whoever lived there probably came from Japan and immigrated or something. One of the traditional houses that stood out a lot was a large manor in the middle of the village, though it looked deserted. The houses looked identical, with the exception of the manor. First of all, I had to find the house of Professor Bail Sourceton, a researcher, and also the guy I had to deliver the parcel to. Since all the houses looked alike, I honestly didn't know where to start.

I walked around the village for a bit, and I noticed something that seemed to appear and disappear over and over again. It was a weird symbol, shaped like half a Yin-Yang. I didn't really mind it for a while, but to be honest, that symbol kinda creeped me out after I saw it on every street corner. It felt like that symbol was following me. For some reason, it looked like it was related to ghosts, too…

After getting lost and searching for around an hour, I finally found Professor Sourceton's residence… As soon as I knocked on the door, this old man, Sourceton himself, came out. Sourceton was wearing the typical "researcher outfit", at least, from what I know, which consisted of a lab coat with a vest underneath and a large bowtie. He had muttonchops as well, which sort of reminded me of the Judge. Though his didn't really take up much space on his face, unlike the Judge's. He was holding a couple of books when he answered the door… They were probably the ones he used in his research.

"Ah! Who might you be?" Sourceton asked.

"I'm Griffin Turner, Ms. Midori Turner's younger brother," I said. "Uh… she handled a case for you previously I think, and she asked me to deliver these… file thingies."

"Ah! Midori's younger brother, eh?" Sourceton said, taking the files. "Well, tell your sister I said thanks… Will you be needing anything else? From that look on your face, I can tell this is your first time visiting Kurain. Well, am I correct?"

"Uh… Yeah, this is my first time here," I said. "Uh… sir? Do you mind if I ask a question?"

"Oh? Not at all!" Sourceton said. "Out with it, boy!"

"Mr. Sourceton, you're a researcher, right?" I asked. (Maybe he knows what those freaky symbols all over the village are…)

"Yes, I am a researcher…" Sourceton said. "And I can tell that's not the only question you've got for me. Let me see… You want to know what the symbols found all over the village are, right?"

(Wow! How'd he know what I was thinking?)

"Uh… yeah," I said. "Yeah, I was wondering about those…"

"Those symbols…" Sourceton said, "Are called _magatamas_. Not too long ago, Kurain Village was home to Spirit Mediums, generally coming from the Fey Clan. The women of that said clan had the ability to channel spirits into their bodies, and, with the help of the magatama, were also able to easily tell if people were lying. Unfortunately, they can no longer do such things…"

(Uh… Spirit Mediums? No wonder I thought those symbols looked like they were related to ghosts… Wait… "Fey"? Where have I heard that before?)

"So… what happened to the Fey Clan?" I asked further. I didn't know why, but I had a feeling that the information on these "Spirit Mediums" might help for some reason. I guess it was my "special ability" going on autopilot.

"They were wiped out," Sourceton said. "A few years ago the heir to their clan was killed. She was quite young, too… It truly is a shame. I heard her boyfriend even went missing after that… Then the person next in line suddenly disappeared. After that, the other members of the clan either died mysteriously, or were never seen again. The last member died only last February. And now, well, the Spirit Mediums of the Fey Clan are now just an old memory lingering in the old walls of the Fey Manor. Their 'extinction', you might say… is what I'm researching on right now… In fact, some of my findings are a bit… controversial."

"Controversial?" I asked. "How so?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you more than that," Sourceton said.

"Well, thanks for the info, anyway Professor," I said. "Uh, I'll be leaving now…"

"Ah! Sure!" Sourceton said. "Be careful around the village now! You might get lost!"

(Don't remind me…)

After that, I left Sourceton's house, ready to get back to the city. (Oh joy, _another_ 2 hours of dull and uneventful stuff!) Still, I couldn't get the thought outta my head. It was still kinda disturbing, learning about a clan that got "wiped out", the women from that clan having the ability to channel spirits, and that "controversial" thing. What did Sourceton discover that was controversial about the Fey Clan? Well anyway, it's none of my business, so I probably shouldn't have bothered myself with that…

It was already 10:35 AM. I got lost in the village… again. When I finally found the route to the Train Station, I bumped into this kid.

"Ow! Watch it, dude!" the kid said. The contents of his backpack fell out.

"Ah! Sorry about that!" I said, picking up one of the fallen items. "Here, here's your… what the? LUMINOL TESTING FLUID?"

"Hey! Don't grab it just like that! That's a pretty valuable chemical solution!" the kid said, taking the bottle of Luminol Fluid from my hand. He quickly returned the bottle to his backpack, which had a lot of strange stuff, like a Fingerprinting Set and Aluminum Flake Powder, a pair of high-grade Magnifiers, a portable Black Light Lamp, and a bunch of other things one would normally expect to see in a Forensic Investigator's inventory, rather than a little kid's backpack.

Actually, the kid himself didn't look like any of the normal kids I've seen. He had gelled-up brown hair, and on top of his head were a pair of red goggles. He also had a lab coat on, and he had a belt-pack that had some peculiar-looking lenses sticking out. He looked somewhat around the age of 10-12, but the way he was dressed, one would think he was in a costume.

"Uh…" I said to the kid. "Mind if I ask what the scientific stuff's for? And… aren't you a little too young to be carrying that sorta stuff?"

"I'm sorry, but," the kid said, "That's classified info. Now, if you excuse me, I have to get to the—"

CRIEEEAAASH!

Suddenly, we heard a weird sound—like breaking glass. After that, we heard a yell. What's worse, the sound was coming from the direction of Professor Sourceton's house.

I found myself running to Sourceton's house. I knew that something must have gone horribly wrong. To my surprise, the kid was running in the same direction I was going. I was starting to wonder if he knew Professor Sourceton…

We finally reached Sourceton's house. As I thought, the window had been broken. I followed the trail of broken glass, which led to the researcher's study. I was shocked when I saw what was inside.

Files and papers were scattered on the floor. Books were carelessly taken from the shelf; some of them were torn to shreds. An old sculpture was on the floor. It was broken, and the missing part was found next to Sourceton. He was dead, still bleeding from a blow to the head. I figured the stone rod next to him was the murder weapon. There was also a small trail of blood, and when I saw where it led to, I almost had a heart attack.

Midori was there… with blood on her hands.

"SIS!" I said to my sister, who was sitting in a corner, looking shocked as well. "You… You didn't—"

"Griffin," Midori said. "No… No, it's not what you think! I'm not a murderer!"

Suddenly, the police came in. They quickly arrested my sister. I was confused at what was going on. But I figured I didn't have any time to worry. My sister was in trouble, and I had to do something about it! But first I had to get to the Train Station, and, since I got lost again, the trains had already left when I got there.

(Aww, crud…)

After 15 minutes of waiting, a train finally came. It was old and clanky-looking, but I had no other choice. I got on the train and headed back to the city.

* * *

**April 14, 1:05 PM; Detention Center, Visitor's Room**

The Detention Center… For some reason I felt as if I've been there before, even though that was my first time visiting it… Midori was in her cell, and the only thing separating us was this glass window. She still looked shaken, and I was still shocked at what I saw only a few hours ago. My sister's an awesome defense attorney; she'd NEVER murder anyone, let alone one of her previous clients!

"Sis," I said. "What happened out there? You didn't…"

"No, I didn't," Midori said.

"What happened, then?" I asked.

"About two hours after you left the office," Midori began, "I got a call from Kurain saying that you were in trouble and I needed to go there."

"Wait, who said I was in trouble?" I said.

"I'm not sure," Midori continued. "But I was worried. Not too long ago… 'something happened' in that village, so I just wanted to make sure you were safe."

("Something happened"? I wonder what sis's talking about…)

"Uh… what do you mean 'something happened'?" I asked.

"The Fey Clan," Midori said. "The members of the Fey Clan… Many of them were killed in that village. Once, after the mysterious disappearance of the one second-in-line for the position of Clan Leader, Pearl Fey, random visitors to the village were attacked. I was worried the same thing would happen again, so I took the express rail to get there faster. After 30 minutes, I reached Kurain."

(Express rail? 30 minutes? Why didn't you tell me that BEFORE I had to ride on the train, sis?! Oh wait, maybe I should say that out loud.)

"Express rail? 30 minutes? Why didn't you tell me that BEFORE I had to ride on the train, sis?!" I said.

"Oh…" Midori said, blushing a little, "Sorry about that…"

"Well, just tell me what happened next, then," I said.

"I tried to find out where I got the call from, but I got lost around the village," Midori continued, "After around an hour and a half, I found myself in front of Professor Sourceton's house. If the Professor had already received his parcel, then I was sure he must have known where you were. When I knocked on the door and no one answered, I thought that I should leave. Then I heard glass breaking. I followed the sound, went through the broken window, and saw Professor Sourceton on the floor of his study… And I think that was when you found me."

"Sis…" I said. "If that's true… Then you're not involved in this! I mean, you didn't even touch the murder weapon…"

"I'm afraid I made a terrible mistake…" Midori said. "That stone rod, the murder weapon… I picked it up without thinking. I saw the blood on it, and they stained my hands…"

(Oh great…)

"Sis…" I said again. "I wanna help you out."

"I'm afraid there's nothing you can do, Griffin," Midori said. That was the first time I've seen her look so hopeless.

"Yes, there is!" I said.

"What?" Midori asked.

I presented my Attorney's Badge to my sister and said, "Sis… I'm gonna defend you in court… And I'm gonna win!"

"Griffin…" Midori said. "You're still a novice… You've only been to a trial once, and I'm not sure you're ready to defend me yet… I'm sorry…"

"But sis…" I said. "Isn't the trial tomorrow? You NEED someone to defend you in court, and I'm more than willing to do so! I mean, ever since I became a defense attorney, you've been helping me out… Now's my turn to pay you back for that, sis! Please! Let me defend you! I'm gonna guarantee you a 'Not Guilty' verdict! You can count on it!"

(Please, sis…)

"… Griffin…" Midori said. She started looking a little happier. "Okay then… Here's a letter of request. Give it to the detective in charge of the investigation… As a defense attorney, it is also your duty to look for evidence at the crime scene. The detective should let you do some investigating once you hand in that letter. Griffin. Remember, I'm counting on you…"

Letter of Request added to the Court Record.

"Thanks, sis," I said. "I WON'T LET YOU DOWN! … Oh, and I'm taking the express rail this time, too!" Sis laughed for a while. Then she told me to hurry and get back to the village so I could do some of my own investigating.

I left the Detention Center and went straight to the express rail stop. I was going back to Kurain, and going through my first investigation!

* * *

**April 14, 1:45 PM; Kurain Village; Sourceton Residence**

(Man, that express rail sure is something… I feel like I just rode on the Bat Mobile!)

Strangely enough, no one was at the crime scene when I returned to Kurain. It was still really creepy for me, having to see the dead body's outline on the floor… Being in that place gave me goose bumps, but I still needed to give the Letter of Request to the detective in charge of the investigation…

"Hey! What are you doing here?" I heard someone say. (Somehow that voice seems familiar…)

It was the kid I bumped into earlier that day. Behind him was who I presumed to be the detective. The man had red hair, and was wearing those old 1990's-type sunglasses. Under his left eye was a cut that made him look like some sort of pirate. He wore a black jacket over his shirt, and his Police Badge was tucked into one of the pockets. On his right arm was a band that said "Flatfoot Razor". He looked pretty laid-back; even the way he was standing seemed laid-back! The man had this weird smirk on his face that made him look like a fox, too… He seemed pretty shrewd.

"Uh…" I said. "I've been asked by my sister, the defendant for this case, to officially represent her in court tomorrow. I've got the Letter of Request right here… She told me to give it to the detective in charge of the investigation…"

"Oh," the older man said, taking the letter. "That would be me…. Hmm, says here the defendant's you're sister… Midori Turner… She's not guilty, I know it."

(Huh? What's this detective saying?)

"Uh… yeah," I said. "So, uh, you're the detective, right?"

"Yeah," the man said. "I'm Detective Thurston Razor. And you are… something… Turner, right?"

"Griffin Turner," I said. "Brother of Midori Turner, rookie defense attorney, age 20, sir!"

"Hmm…" Razor said. "You look more like a _'Griff' _to me… Are ya sure you're 20? That's not what your height says, actually."

(Hey! Did he just imply that I was short?! ……… Whatever. "Griff", huh? Not bad for a nickname, I guess…)

"So, uh, detective, is it okay if I do my own investigation here? I mean, I do need some evidence to present in court tomorrow…" I said.

"Yeah, sure," Razor said. "But I'll have you know this… Apparently, the murderer cleaned up the crime scene for some reason. There aren't any visible bloodstains. You can only find them by chemical means. So if you wanna do REAL investigating, then there's someone who can help you."

"Yeah!" the kid said. "That's where I come in, right, detective?"

"Wait… You don't mean…" I mumbled. "THAT little kid?"

"HEY!" Razor snapped. "He may be little, but he's already a top-notch Scientific Investigator! Why, I'll have you know his mom was one of the best Scientific Investigators in the force! If it hadn't been for that accident, she'd still be with us! ……… Well anyway, Eddy here's got his mom's brains. This is his first actual investigation, but he's already pretty handy, even when he was just backup for my team a few months ago. That's why I only need very few recruits in my investigations."

(That kid's a Scientific Investigator?)

"I have my own badge, too!" Eddy said, showing off a Police Badge. (So he really IS a Scientific Investigator… How'd that happen?)

"Okay…" I said, "So, uh, Detective Razor… Do you have the Autopsy Report?"

"Hmm?" Razor said. "Oh, yeah, sure. Here's an extra copy."

Autopsy Report added to the Court Record.

"And…" Razor said, taking out another piece of paper from his jacket pocket, "… Here're the Floor Plans. You might need it."

(Wow! This detective's really helpful!)

Floor Plans added to the Court Record.

"Right," Razor said. "Well, I'll be continuing my investigation upstairs… Eddy, you can stay here and help Griff."

("Griff"… You know, that name's really starting to grow on me…)

After that, Detective Razor left… So I was going to get "assistance" from a little kid… (Maybe I should get to know him a little better first.)

"So, uh…" I said, "You're gonna be helping me out today? Your name… Eddy, right?"

"Yeah! This is my first case, and I'm really ready for it!" Eddy said. "That's me: **Edward Skye, at your service!**"

"Yeah, okay…" I said. "So, uh, how old are you exactly? And how did you become a Scientific Investigator?"

"I'm 10," Eddy said, "But my mom's been a Scientific Investigator since she was 16! She helped some attorney solve a confusing case, SL-9, I think, 20 years ago. Hey! That's kinda like what I'm doing right now, Griff! Anyway, after that, she went to live in Europe. Then she went back here and became the Police Department's #1 Forensics Expert! 5 years ago, she brought me down to the precinct and taught me everything I know about Scientific Investigating!"

"But…" I said, "How do you go to school if you're busy investigating crime scenes with the police?"

"Online School does wonders, Griff!" said Eddy. "Anyway, I'm itching to get this investigation started. Let's go!"

(You can't blame this kid for his enthusiasm…)

So we started examining the crime scene. Eddy and I decided that we should check things one-by-one first, using what Eddy called the "Traditional Method". After that, he'd use his "tools" for a double-check.

**INVESTIGATION**

First, Eddy and I took a look at the floor where Sourceton's body was found.

"Lots of papers and files got scattered," I said.

"There're some books down here, too," Eddy said.

"There's some white tape here," I said. "They used the tape to preserve Sourceton's body shape when he was murdered… Weird, how come it's in that odd position?"

"Odd position?" Eddy said, "Hmm… It looks like Professor Sourceton was _bowing down_ to something when he got hit in the head. Man, that IS weird!"

(Why would Sourceton be bowing down? Strange, maybe I should add that to the Court Record.)

Sourceton's Position added to the Court Record.

Next, we checked Sourceton's desk.

"Looks like some papers got scattered here," I said. "Maybe that happened when the window broke."

"Look!" Eddy said, pointing to something on the desk. "What's that green stone? It doesn't look like any ordinary paperweight to me… Do you think it's a clue?"

"Hey, you're right!" I said, picking up the stone. "It's got some blood stains on it, too! I wonder that it is, though. It looks like only HALF of a bigger stone…"

"Let's just keep it till we find the other half!" Eddy said.

Strange Green Stone added to the Court Record.

After that, we checked the broken window.

"Looks like it was hit pretty hard," I said. "There're some shards on the floor…"

"Yeah," Eddy said, holding up a few shards of broken glass. "Look at this layer of _polycarbonate thermoplastic_, Griff! This is… **bulletproof glass**!"

"Bulletproof?" I asked. "Why would Professor Sourceton have bulletproof glass on his window? It doesn't make sense, too. Judging from those shards, the window must've been hit REALLY hard for it to break like that. But what could possibly break a window made of tough bulletproof glass?"

"There's gotta be a reason…" Eddy said. "I can't think of anything that could break bulletproof glass, though…"

(This sure is confusing… How did the real murderer manage to break that window so easily?)

"Well…" I said. "These glass shards could be a clue..."

Glass Shards added to the Court Record.

We took a look at the bookshelves after that.

"Wow…" I said. "Look at all these research books! **'History of Kurain'**, **'Spirit Channelers'**, **'A Guide to unlocking Psyche Locks'**…"

"Professor Sourceton musta been really into ghosts, huh?" Eddy said.

(Yeah, and the controversial "Fey Clan Discovery"…)

"Doesn't look like there're any more clues here," Eddy said.

"Well, we've got three pieces of evidence so far," I said.

"Don't forget…" Eddy said, taking something out of his backpack, "I've got my tools with me."

(You mean… the Forensics Stuff?)

"Tada!!!" Eddy said, holding out his bottle of Luminol Testing Fluid, "Remember what Detective Razor said? Now we can find some invisible blood stains!"

"That's great, but…" I said, "… I don't know how to use that stuff."

"What? C'mon, it's _so easy_!" Eddy said, putting on his goggles and then taking out another pair from his belt-pack. "You just spray an amount of the fluid on and check for bloodstains! Of course, you need to wear Infrared Goggles before you do, or else it'll be useless! Now, the solution reacts to blood by turning into a light blue color, kinda like how Fehling's Solution turns brownish red when it reacts to glucose. That's easily seen when you're wearing your goggles. After that, you can also use your goggles to zoom in on the hidden stain! See! It's really easy!"

(Wow… This kid sure knows his Chemistry… I'm a sucker for the Periodic Table of Elements myself, but this kid's probably got a PhD or something…)

"Okay then," I said, taking the goggles Eddy gave me. "Let's try it out…"

**LUMINOL TEST EXAMINATION**

Eddy told me to start spraying on the most obvious part of the crime scene first, so I sprayed some Luminol Fluid on the floor. I found a few drops of blood and zoomed in to 200. It was kinda weird; I thought there would've been more than just a few drops… The victim DID die from a blow to the head, but the drops looked like they were only from a nosebleed…

"Hey, Griff…" Eddy said, "Don't ya think the amount of blood's kinda… odd?"

"Yeah," I said, "Looks like this came from a nosebleed… I don't think that's enough blood from being hit by a blunt object."

"I'll mark where the bloodstains were found on the Floor Plans," Eddy said, taking out a marker. He then started putting an "X" on the Floor Plans.

Floor Plans updated.

"Now let's check the desk!" Eddy said. "There should be a reason why that weird stone we found had blood on it!"

I sprayed the desk and found… nothing. There weren't any bloodstains on the desk.

"Weird…" Eddy said. "No bloodstains… That doesn't match up to the stone… Unless… That stone was already bloody, and Professor Sourceton kept it that way. But that doesn't make sense either. Why'd he keep a bloody stone?"

(That stone was already bloody and Sourceton kept it that way? Gross, man, just gross.)

"Maybe we should spray somewhere else," I said. Eddy agreed.

I sprayed the window and found an incredibly large amount of blood. (Maybe the murderer accidentally cut their hand when they broke in… But it shouldn't be this much blood.)

"Hmm…" Eddy said. "Looks like there's more blood on the window than on the floor itself. I dunno if there's any real answer to that yet, though. I mean there _should _be more blood on the place where the Professor got hit. It doesn't make any sense if that blood was from the murderer, too."

"Yeah, this whole crime scene is weird, all right," I said. "Let's just update the Floor Plans, anyway."

Floor Plans updated.

"Okay then…" Eddy said. "Looks like these are the only hidden stains in here."

"Yeah…" I said, giving the Luminol back to Eddy. "But this Luminol Fluid's pretty handy."

"I know!" Eddy said proudly. "That's why you can keep it! I have three extra bottles, anyway."

(Wow! I can keep this? Cool!)

"Wow, I can keep this bottle? Thanks, Eddy!" I said.

Luminol Testing Fluid added to the Court Record.

**END LUMINOL TEST EXAMINATION**

"Right…" I said. "Maybe we should meet up with Detective Razor and tell him about the window…"

"Argh! What are you doing in here?" a gruff voice said.

Eddy and I turned around to see an old man, who looked like some sort of sea captain or pirate, standing by the doorway. The old man was dressed more like a captain, though. He wore a dark blue jacket with a Jolly Roger insignia at the back. He had spiky gray hair and a spiky gray beard, and he also had a spiky, well, _pointy_ nose. The old man had an eye patch over his left eye, but what was underneath, a small white scar, was still visible. He also had a cigarette in his mouth, but he wasn't smoking it. He had a peg leg, too, but I had this feeling that it was a fake.

"Uh…" Eddy said. "Who might you be?"

"And how come you're in here?" I added. "This is a crime scene."

"Hmph!" the old man said, "A little barnacle like you askin' who I be? I be Azmond Saltby, though ya might be a-callin' me… the 'witness'."

(Witness? You don't mean…)

"Yar, tha's right!" Saltby said. "I be a witness to the murder that occurred here a couple o' hours ago."

"What?" Eddy said. "But we checked the area for potential witnesses an hour ago and we weren't able to document any—!"

"Yargh!" Saltby snapped. "Well why di'n't ya drop by me house, then? 'Tis right across the street from this one!"

"Wha… WHAT?!" Eddy said. "But aren't you… a captain or pirate or… something?"

"I used to be a captain, argh," Saltby said. "Me and me mighty ship, the "Pokequod", were once the best known sea-tamers the country's ever known, yargh! But I busted me leg once when I was goin' a-sailing round the old east coast… Now I'm retired and a-livin' here in Kurain. Seems ta me that nasty clan's been finally gotten rid of, argh! If anyone d'serves ta rule a village, it should be the men, not them cuckoo Fey Women who drive men outta this place just 'cuz they ain't got no 'power' or 'social standing' or whatever! Hmph!"

(Gee, what a fanatic and sexist old man… Wait, did he just say "Fey Women"?)

"Um, Mr. Saltby?" I asked. "What do you know about the Fey Clan?"

"Hmm?" Saltby mumbled. "Heh, all I know 'bout them is that they drove nearly all the men outta Kurain 'cuz of their 'power' or 'influence' or whatever. But apparently they got wiped out. Serves 'em right, if ya ask me! But now that they're gone, all the villagers' been sayin' something 'bout a 'curse' that the clan left behind…"

(Curse? What's this old man talking about?)

"Curse?" Eddy asked. "Mr. Saltby, I've heard about the Fey Clan and their 'extinction', but what's this curse thing all about?"

"Yar, wouldn't ya like ta know?" Saltby sneered. "I ain't got no idea 'bout it, but I betcha some loon's gonna blame that curse for Old Sourcey's sad ship-sinkin', argh."

("Old Sourcey's ship-sinking"? Is he talking about the murder?)

"Yar, but that ain't the case!" Saltby said. "I KNOW what happened. I SAW that orange-haired woman attack Old Sourcey!"

(Orange-haired… MIDORI!)

"But she only went in here after she heard the window break!" I said. "When she came here, Sourceton was already dead!"

"WELL THAT AIN'T WHAT I SAW!" Saltby yelled. "I may be an old sea dog, but me eyes are as sharp as a shark's tooth! I ain't wrong. I saw it all!"

(No… Sis… She couldn't have lied!)

"Ahem," a voice said. "Maybe you wanna say that tomorrow in court instead, rather than blurting it all out?"

It was Detective Razor.

"So it looks like we got us a witness," Razor said. "Sir, you really should say that in your testimony tomorrow."

"Who might ye be ta tell Azmond Saltby what ta do, eh?" Saltby asked.

"I…" Razor said, "Am a person who only does his job. Sir, consider this: if you were murdered, wouldn't you want justice?"

"Yar!" Saltby yelled. "What are ya blabberin' about?!"

"I'm speaking hypothetically," Razor said, still keeping his cool. "Testify."

After saying that, I thought I saw something glitter in Detective Razor's eyes… But, then again, it could have just been a glare of sunlight, so I didn't give it much thought. He began to grin like a fox, too. But what surprised me, however, was Saltby's reaction afterwards.

"Eh?" Saltby muttered. "You a flatfoot gumshoe detective 'vestigator see-ess-eye thang, ain't ya?"

("Flatfoot gumshoe detective 'vestigator see-ess-eye thang"? What the…)

"All right," Saltby finally said. "I be a-testifyin' t'morrow. Old Sourcey's a friend o' mine, and I'll tell ya it di'n't do me no good ta see him get killed… by a woman! Yargh!"

(Sexist old man! Don't you dare talk like that about my sister!)

Saltby left after that. Detective Razor asked Eddy if we made any progress.

"Yeah, we found some stuff," Eddy said, handing some notes he made to Detective Razor. (He didn't give the actual evidence…)

"Hmm…" Razor said, examining Eddy's notes. "So there's more blood on the window than on the floor? Intriguing. Good find, Eddy, Griff. This is all I'll be needing."

Detective Razor left. I asked Eddy why he only gave notes.

"Detective Razor's just like that, you know," Eddy said. "He KNOWS when the defendant for a case isn't really guilty, so he only takes notes rather than the actual evidence. He says that he 'doesn't wanna help the prosecutor convict someone if they're innocent'. Strangely enough, he's able to solve cases with only those notes…"

(Strange, yeah…)

"Well," I said, "I guess this wraps up today's investigation…"

"Yeah," Eddy said. "Well, see ya in court tomorrow, Griff!"

I left Kurain after that. I took the express rail again, returned to the city, and went straight to the Detention Center. I needed to talk to sis about what that old man, Azmond Saltby, supposedly saw… Did she really do it?

* * *

**April 14, 3:55 PM; Detention Center, Visitor's Room**

Midori had just returned to her cell. Apparently, she was taken in for questioning when I was investigating in Kurain.

"Oh, Griffin," she said, "You're back. How did the investigation go?"

"Uh, it was okay, I guess," I said. "How was the interrogation?"

(:Urk: Did I just say, "How was the interrogation"?!)

"It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, actually," Midori said. "They just asked me what I saw, and I answered truthfully. Also, Griffin…"

"Huh?" I asked.

"One of the people who questioned me…" Midori said, "… Was that man you ran into after your first trial: the new prosecutor."

(The new prosecutor? You mean… That creepy guy with the scar and green glasses?)

"That new prosecutor," Midori continued, "His name is Lance Bladeston, and apparently… he's already won 10 cases… In a span of one month."

"10 cases?!" I blurted out. "… In ONE MONTH?! Is that even humanly possible, sis?"

"I myself was amazed," Midori said. "He could very well be the Prosecution's Secret Weapon to winning cases. I even heard one of the other interrogators calling him a 'Prosecuting Speed Demon'. He could be another prodigy."

(Secret Weapon? "Prosecuting Speed Demon"? Aww, man…Not helping. How am I gonna win against a guy who won 10 cases already?! … Well, first I need to find out whether Saltby was telling the truth about what he saw… There's no way what he said could be true! I know it!)

"Sis…" I started to mutter, "You said earlier that you only touched the murder weapon, right?"

"Yes…" Midori said. "Why do you ask?"

"Sis… You wouldn't have any reason to _lie_ about what happened, right?" I asked. "I mean, you MUST be innocent, right?"

"Wha… What do you mean?" Midori said, looking startled.

(:Gulp: Here goes…)

"Um… During my investigation…" I began, "I ran into this old man, Azmond Saltby, an ex-sea captain. He said he, uh, witnessed the murder… He said that he saw YOU in the act of killing Professor Sourceton. I didn't think twice about what he said at first. He's really sexist, and I thought he was probably just holding a grudge against any woman he came across… Then he mentioned something about 'orange-haired'…"

Midori was silent. I hoped for the best that she was really innocent.

"Anyway…" I continued, "Did you, uh, _know _that there was a murder witness when you entered Professor Sourceton's study?"

"I didn't," Midori answered. "'Orange-haired'… That's pretty specific. Griffin let me ask you this…"

"Huh?" I said.

"Do you think," Midori said, "… that I've dug my own grave?"

(PLEASE don't talk like that, sis! The thought of death makes my hair stand on end! … Though it doesn't really make much of a difference… Anyway!)

"NO, SIS!!!" I yelled, startling the guard who kept watch. "I don't think so! That old man… He could have made a mistake or something! Maybe he saw someone else with orange hair walk into the room! Maybe… the real murderer's trying to—"

(Wait… Could it be…?)

"What is it?" Midori asked.

"Maybe…" I said. "Maybe… The real murderer's got a grudge against you and disguised as you! To frame you!"

"But…" Midori said, "I don't know of anyone who would have a grudge against me!"

"Sis," I said, "That's the only reasonable explanation I can think of right now. I know you're innocent. I don't care what that witness says; I'll stick by ya throughout this entire case, sis! Just like… When you stuck by me… 8 years ago."

There was silence for a while… I knew sis and I thinking the same thing… about that incident… 8 years ago. That was one thing I'd never forget. Sis helped me out a lot during that time. She was one of the only two people who were willing to help me back then. I don't know what happened to the other one… him…

"Well…" Midori said, brightening up a little, "Alright… Do your best tomorrow, then!"

"Don't worry, sis!" I said. "I'll do exactly that! You can count on it!"

"Remember, don't forget to check the Court Record!" Midori said.

I left the Detention Center and went back to the office. Like sis said, I had to do my best. To do that, I needed to check the Court Record, examine the evidence, and… use my "special ability". Sis said that I could immediately form patterns in my head. This helped me solve cases faster. If I was gonna win that case, then I'd definitely need this "special ability" of mine.

* * *

**April 14, 4:35 PM; Turner and Co. Law Offices**

(Man, it feels so weird being in here all alone…)

The office was dark. Apparently, Midori had been in a hurry to get to Kurain. She didn't clean her desk before leaving like she normally did, since there were still a lot of files and paperwork stacked up on the right side of her desk. I walked over to the sofa, sat down, and opened the Court Record.

(Let's see if there's anything in here that can prove sis innocent!)

COURT RECORD:

ATTORNEY'S BADGE

- My treasured Attorney's Badge. Having it on makes me feel like a real man!

(No need to check this…)

AUTOPSY REPORT

- The Autopsy Report of the victim, Bail Sourceton. Death was caused by blood loss due to blunt trauma.

(Okay, maybe I should take a good look at this one.)

VICTIM: BAIL SOURCETON

ESTIMATED TIME OF DEATH: 10:35-10:40 AM

CAUSE OF DEATH: LOSS OF BLOOD DUE TO BLUNT TRAUMA; HEAD WAS HIT WITH A LARGE IMPACT.

(Yeah… I'm guessing that stone rod did a lot of damage. But it was kinda heavy. How'd the real murderer hit Sourceton with that rod so hard?)

FLOOR PLANS

- Floor Plans to Professor Sourceton's study.

(Maybe I better check the parts with the bloodstains.)

Eddy had drawn little X's on the sections of the study where we were able to find bloodstains. On the floor itself, where Sourceton was presumably attacked, was only a little bit of blood. The amount was more likely to come from a nosebleed than a murder. On the window was were Eddy and I found a massive amount of blood, which didn't really make any sense since the window was only broken by the murderer to get inside Sourceton's study. That, plus the window was made of bulletproof glass, which was impenetrable by bullets, let alone any other blunt object.

I found this quite strange. There really should have been more blood on the floor. But the bulletproof glass window had more blood. It didn't make any sense.

(Man, this is confusing… C'mon special ability! Tell me what's going on!)

Though I tried as hard as I could, I still couldn't get it. I decided to move on and check the rest of the evidence.

SOURCETON'S BODY POSITION

- Position of the victim before the murder. It appears as if the victim was bowing to something.

(Yeah, I DEFINITELY need to find an answer to this one.)

This piece of evidence was particularly confusing. I didn't get why Sourceton was bowing down when he was murdered. Maybe it was just a coincidence? No… I didn't think it looked like he was in some other position that suddenly shifted to "bowing" when he was killed. He was bowing intentionally. But why? What could Sourceton have been bowing to?

(C'mon, special ability! Help!)

I still couldn't figure it out. I didn't get why I couldn't form the correct patterns in my head, especially at I time when I needed to the most!

(I guess I'd better move on…)

GREEN STONE

- A strange, bloody stone found on Sourceton's desk. It looks like only half of a bigger stone.

Out of all the evidence, that stone bothered me the most. That green stone seemed familiar, though I was sure I hadn't seen it before. Another thing that bothered me was the fact that it had dried blood on it. Whose blood was it, and why didn't Sourceton clean it? Was it part of his research?

(Maybe if I look at it at a different angle, I'll find something.)

I zoomed in on the stone. Nothing. I rotated it to the left, then back to the right. Still nothing. I tried turning it counterclockwise, and found a small indentation at the back. The indentation resembled an upside-down letter "V". I wasn't sure what this meant, but, since I found something in the evidence, I updated it in the Court Record.

Green Stone information updated.

GLASS SHARDS

- Shards of bulletproof glass from Sourceton's window.

This evidence was really confusing. First of all, I didn't know how or why bulletproof glass ended up on Sourceton's window. Second, I didn't what could possibly break the glass when it was resistant even to bullets. Third, the bulletproof glass window had the most bloodstains; in fact, they were bloodstains that were cleaned up and can only be found via a chemical reaction. Since I couldn't find any way to figure everything out right away, the only reasonable thing for me to do was, well, do the same thing I did with the green stone: zoom in and rotate.

I zoomed in on one of the shards, and found a small layer of laminated glass. It was probably the polycarbonate thermoplastic, like Eddy mentioned. The layer seemed kinda brittle, though. I flipped it around, and found another layer of polycarbonate thermoplastic. This time, the layer was smoother, and didn't seem as brittle as the first one. I guessed that the brittle part of the glass was the one that got hit, thus resulting in the entire window breaking. I wasn't too sure about the smooth side of the glass, though…

(Maybe this is the key as to how the window got broken… A brittle layer…)

Glass Shard information updated.

LUMINOL TESTING FLUID

- A chemical solution which reacts to, and finds, invisible blood stains.

I didn't need to check that…

(Hmm… I checked all the evidence… Maybe I should do a quick check on the Profiles as well.)

PROFILES:

**Midori Turner**

Age: 25

My older sister, mentor, and head of Turner and Co. Law Offices. Also the defendant for this case.

**Professor Bail Sourceton**

Age: 58

The victim, and a researcher who studied the Genealogy of Kurain Village and the Fey Clan. Some of his findings were said to be "controversial".

**Edward "Eddy" Skye**

Age: 10

Son of a famous Scientific Investigator, he is currently in the District Police Department's Forensics Division. Also my "assistant" for this case.

**Detective Thurston Razor**

Age: 28

The detective in charge of the initial investigation. Has a strange manner of investigating, uses only notes rather than real evidence.

**Azmond Saltby**

Age: 58

Former sea captain, now retired and living in Kurain Village. Witness to the murder.

**Lance Bladeston**

Age: 22

A "Prosecuting Speed Demon" who was already able to win 10 cases after starting his career only one month ago. Also the prosecutor for this case.

After checking everything that I could, I closed the Court Record. So far, I was able to update the information on the strange green stone and the bulletproof glass shards, but everything else was still very confusing. I was starting to wonder if I still had my "special ability" to instantly form perfect patterns in my head, or if I even had it in the first place.

I also had a lot of mixed feelings about the trial the next day. I was curious on what kind of prosecutor that creepy guy, Bladeston, was. I mean, a prosecutor who's already won 10 trials within a month's time… That was eerily fast, even for a prodigy…

I was ready to go back home when I noticed something on Midori's desk.

It was a list of all the trials she had been in so far for the year. There were a total of 7 columns, with the first trial for the year dated January 16 and located in the 1st Column. I looked through the others, and noticed something… unexpected. On the 4th Column, dated February 3, was a murder case. What was so special about it? Sourceton… And a member of the Fey Clan…

CASE: RYG-33 / HOMICIDE

VICTIM: EDNA FEY

SUSPECT: BLAINE BROCK

WITNESSES: REGINALD LOKI, BAIL SOURCETON, FELIX SOURCETON

STATUS: CLOSED

("Felix Sourceton"? Who could that be—)

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

As I was about to check the case, my phone suddenly rang. I hastily answered it, and almost ended up dropping it. My attention was on that file… And that name… Felix Sourceton…

"Griffin Turner here," I said, answering my phone.

"Griff!" a small voice answered. "It's me, Eddy!"

"Eddy?" I asked. "Wha… How'd you get my number, dude?"

"Your sister gave it to me!" Eddy said. "Man, she was a real nice lady! And she was pretty, too!"

(Why is it that I can tell Eddy's blushing through the phone?)

"Sis?" I asked. "But… But how?"

"I went with Detective Razor to the Detention Center," Eddy said. "We met up with Ms. Turner, and Detective Razor asked some questions."

(:Urk: Sis went through another interrogation?)

"Uh…" I said. "Did Detective Razor… interrogate her?"

"Naw!" Eddy said. "They discussed something about a new item that could help you out in court tomorrow, Griff! Your sister… Apparently, she's been planning to give you this item for a long time already. She says it's really useful!"

(I wonder what this item is…)

"Say, Eddy," I said, "Uh… Exactly what is this 'item', anyway?"

"She didn't say," Eddy answered. "All I know is, I'm supposed to give it to ya tomorrow before the trial begins. By the way, did you find anything in the evidence we found? Like, uh, contradictions?"

"Uh…" I mumbled. "I didn't find that much out yet. A lot of the evidence's still pretty ambiguous."

"Oh well…" Eddy said. "Let's just see what we can find tomorrow, then."

"Yeah, okay," I said, and disconnected.

I just got more confused. First, who was this "Felix Sourceton"? And second, what was this item that sis had been planning to give me? And… how could it help me in trials?

After that, I went home. I decided to clear my mind of all ambiguity for the night. I needed to catch some Z's to prepare me for the trial the next day…

But still… What was that "item"?


	3. Chemical Formula for Turnabout Day 2A

After three months without an update, here is Chapter Two, Part Two.

This chapter introduces the Wahrheitron T-3 Lie Detection Phase, the "Tell the Truth" system for the story. It works a lot like the Psyche Lock and Minuku (See-Through) Systems put together. I don't own The Psyche Lock and Minuku Systems, though; Capcom does. Again, please refer to the disclaimer.

As always, please read, comment, and criticize.

**

* * *

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**CHAPTER TWO: THE CHEMICAL FORMULA FOR TURNABOUT**

**Day Two: Trial**

**April 15, 9:20 AM; District Court, Defendant Lobby**

(Only 40 more minutes before the trial begins… Where the heck is Eddy?)

I was kinda tense that morning; that's what happens when you receive an ether-mail message from Eddy in the middle of the night telling you to go to court as early as possible… and then waking up late and having to rush. Plus, it was the first day of a very important trial. Add to that, sis was nowhere to be found, Eddy was late, my ability to form perfect patterns in my head seemed to have disappeared when I needed it the most, and the thought of the new prosecutor, Lance Bladeston, was bugging me so much that I couldn't just sit down.

(Man… Is this some sorta punishment or something?)

"Griff!" a voice said. (Finally!)

Eddy had finally arrived. Detective Razor was behind him, carrying a small package.

"Hehe, sorry we took so long," Eddy said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. "Me and Detective Razor got into a traffic jam on the way here."

"And it didn't help that the lab was around 3 miles away from here, too," Razor said. "Well, here's your sister's package… She said it'd be pretty useful for you."

"Uh, what is it?" I asked.

"Well you wouldn't know if you don't open it," Razor said, handing me the package.

I tore off the wrapper and opened the box. Inside it was, well, I honestly didn't know what the heck it was, but it looked like… a blue wristwatch. That is, the kind of wristwatch that a five-year-old would wear, complete with plastic straps to avoid slippage.

(Sis… Why'd you send me a kiddie watch?!)

"A… watch?" I said. "How's a watch gonna help me win this trial?!"

"It's not _just_ a watch, Griff!" Eddy said. "Why don't you look at it a little closer?"

I did as Eddy said, and found out that he was right. It really wasn't just a watch. It had a small, 1.5 x 3 inch liquid crystal display screen in the middle, and on the left side of it was what appeared to be a cobalt panel with two buttons, one green, one red. On the right side of the screen was another cobalt panel, this time with small slits on them rather than buttons. Near the bottom left corner of the screen was a small yellow button, and on the top of the screen was a small microphone. Next to the microphone was a small, circular lens. The piece with all the gadgetry was attached to a pair of blue plastic wristwatch straps.

"Still, I ask, 'What is this?'" I said.

"THAT," Eddy said, "Is the _Wahrheitron T-3_, the most cutting-edge in the field of lie detection!"

"Lie detection?" I said. "You mean… this little thing… is a LIE DETECTOR?!"

"Yeah," Eddy said. "You may be wondering why it's shaped like a watch. That's just so you can carry it around anywhere and anytime you wanna. Go ahead, Griff!You can even strap it on right now!"

(Lie detector watch… Now I've seen everything. But I gotta admit, this thing does look pretty cool on my left hand.)

"Hey, not bad…" I said. "This Wahrheitron thing looks kinda cool on my 'Objection Hand'… But I still don't get how this thing's supposed to be a lie detector… I mean, I see the buttons, but they don't look like polygraph controls, either."

"Hehe…" Eddy said, "I knew you'd say something like that. Now! I, Edward L. Skye, will teach you how to work the Wahrheitron T-3!"

(Okay, no need to state your whole name… I just hope this little thing is gonna be helpful.)

**WAHRHEITRON T-3 TUTORIAL**

"Right!" Eddy said. "Let's start the Wahheitron T-3 Lie Detection Turtorial! So basically, the Wahreitron uses different forms of _body language_ to tell if someone's lying or not. When you come across a lie, the Wahrheitron should go 'BEEP!'. It divides the act of lying through body language into three main parts: Voice Pattern, Facial Expressions, and of course, _The Corpus Meter_."

"Corpus Meter?" I asked. "What's that?"

"It's something that resembles a health bar," Eddy said. "It's a little green-colored bar that changes color from green to yellow to red whenever you inflict damage to the supposed liar during the lie detection process. Both you and whoever you're questioning have a meter each. You may be wondering: 'Whaddya mean by inflicting damage?' Griff, and I'll tell ya. Every time you think you may have come across a lie, you have to present evidence to prove it. If you present the wrong evidence, the Corpus Meter will lose a small amount of Exposition Points, or EP. EP's are kinda like life points. If you run out, you'll have to stop the questioning and try again later. If you do present the right evidence, then the supposed liar will lose THEIR EP's. When their EP's run out, they'll tell you the truth!"

"Wow, that sounds cool!" I said. "So, what about the buttons?"

"Ha!" Eddy said. "That's actually pretty easy. See the buttons on the left cobalt panel?"

"You mean the red and green ones?" I asked.

"Yep!" Eddy replied, hyper as ever. "These are the main buttons you're gonna have to press whenever you use the Wahrheitron. The red button is for when you're ready to start the interrogation. The green one's for choosing what kind of interrogation you want to have: Voice Pattern or Facial Expressions."

"So how do both of those options work?" I continued asking.

"The Wahrheitron T-3 has special built-in devices," Eddy continued. "As you can see, there's a mini microphone attached to it. That automatically records voices when you choose the Voice Pattern option. Those slits on the right side of the screen let the sound go through. For the Facial Expressions option, you can manipulate the camera located near the microphone using the analog control button. That's the yellow one, by the way."

(So that small yellow button's an analog direction pad? Hmm…)

"Say…" Eddy said, doing a strange, mischievous pose, "How about you take the Wahrheitron for a test drive, Griff? Go on! I'll tell a lie and let's just see how well you can manipulate that little gadget! Are you ready?"

"You mean… A mock Wahrheitron Test?" I asked.

"Yeah!" Eddy said, still doing the mischievous pose. "Whaddya say?"

(Well, this should be interesting…)

"Okay," I said. "Prepare to tell the truth, Eddy!"

**WAHRHEITRON INTERROGATION PHASE (MOCK)**

"Let's begin the interrogation!" Eddy said with his right arm outstretched. "Okay! Here's my statement. _I did not run into a short, flame-haired attorney yesterday._"

(WHO ARE YOU CALLING SHORT?!)

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

(The Wahrheitron's beeping… I've come across a lie!)

THAT'S A LIE!!!

I decided to select the Voice Pattern option. Once I did, a small microphone symbol appeared on the screen. (Looks like it's already recording Eddy's statement.)

I got to see how the Voice Pattern option worked. Basically, there was a WAV File with a blue-colored wavelength on the screen. I could listen to the recorded statement using the Play, Pause, Stop, and Fast Forward icons also on the screen. The screen was touch-sensitive, so I could easily play and listen to Eddy's recorded voice. Once I got to the part where Eddy said, "_I did not run into a short, flame-haired attorney yesterday_", the wavelength suddenly turned red!

"So you've seen my lie…" Eddy said. "Now let's see some evidence that proves I'm lying!"

(Evidence, huh?)

I had lots of evidence that Eddy and I met yesterday. All I had to do was choose one and present it. But I had to present evidence that made the most sense… I chose the bottle of Luminol Testing Fluid. By the time I had presented it, I could see the Corpus Meters on the screen. Both Eddy and I had one. Mine had around 50 EP's, while Eddy's had only 25. (I guess interrogators usually have the upper hand, huh?)

TAKE THAT!

"Well?" I said, feeling kinda smug.

"Well done, grasshopper!" Eddy said, doing a small bow. "You have successfully finished the Mock Wahrheitron Interrogation Phase."

("Grasshopper"? I prefer you stick to "Griff". 'Tis a much catchier name than "Grasshopper"!)

After that, Eddy's Corpus Meter ran out, and the screen on the Wahrheitron became normal again. (Man, that was fun!)

**END WAHRHEITRON INTERROGATION PHASE (MOCK)**

"So, any more questions, grasshopper?" Eddy asked, smiling.

"I think I've learned enough about the Wahrheitron…" I said. "At least, enough to let me have a fighting chance against Prosecutor Bladeston." (I hope. :Gulp:)

END WAHRHEITRON T-3 TUTORIAL 

"So…" I heard Detective Razor say, "Did you enjoy that tutorial, Griff?"

"Yeah," I answered truthfully. "This thing's a real nifty gadget… And it's fun to use, too!"

"Well, you're indebted to your sister because of that, then," Razor said. "That should really help out in today's trial, don't you think?"

"Yeah…" I said. "I owe my sis a lot. Now it's my turn to help her… By the way, Detective Razor, is my sis going to be my Co-Council?"

"Hmm…" Razor said, "Actually, I heard at the precinct that there was a new rule saying that _'Defendants who are related to their defense attorneys are no longer allowed to be their Co-Council in order to prevent biased cross-examinations' _or something like that. The new rule sucks, I know, but I don't think there's any way out of that one."

(Damn it… How can I maintain my composure if sis isn't there in court with me?)

"I'll be your Co-Council Aide, Griff!" Eddy said.

"What?" I said, shocked. "Is that even allowed, Eddy?!"

"Sure!" Eddy said, showing his Scientific Investigator's Badge again. "I have this, and I _AM_ your sidekick for this case, right, Griff?"

"Well…" I said. "I suppose that does earn you the right to be my Aide… Whaddya think, Detective Razor?"

"I think it's perfectly fine," Razor said with a small fox-smirk of approval and a thumbs-up.

"YEAH!!!" Eddy said. "This is gonna be great! It's like I'm living out mom's life—" Suddenly, Eddy looked down and went silent.

"Eddy?" I asked. "You okay?"

"Oh! Yeah, I'm fine," Eddy said, smiling again. "It was nothing, really. I, uh, just choked."

(I wonder what just happened… Oh well, my main priority's to prove Midori innocent. Time to step into the courtroom…)

* * *

**April 15, 10:00 AM; District Court, Courtroom #3**

BANG!

"Court is now in session for the trial of Ms. Midori Turner," the Judge said.

The courtroom felt different. I felt different. It was like someone was keeping an eye on me, and it didn't feel very comfortable. I tried to find out where that strange, scary feeling came from. I turned to the Prosecutor's Bench, and there was my answer: Prosecutor Lance Bladeston.

Lance Bladeston had a serious face on and had his arms folded across his chest. He looked like an ordinary prosecutor at first glance mainly because of his clothing. He wore an orange square-cut coat and had a "stock", a folded kerchief, tied around his neck. He also wore on his chest what I assumed was the **Prosecuting Attorney's Badge**, which was shaped like a spiky flower-ish… thing.

But to me, Bladeston was a scary kinda person, based from physical appearance. First, he had that creepy long scar on the left side of his face. Second, he had a pair of weird green glasses. Behind them, I could see his eyes. The color of his eyes weren't that easy to comprehend. They looked brown, but something in my gut was telling me that they were actually RED and had spiral patterns. The thought was too creepy for me to handle… Even his hair was intimidating! It was spiky at the back and the front was styled to look like CLAWS and had a deep, murky brown color, which was usually the color of those creepy monsters that come out at night to eat you—!!!

(I feel like I'm gonna faint… I shouldn't have watched that horror movie last night…)

"Mr. Griffin Turner…" I heard Bladeston say, "You have terror in your eyes. Please calm down."

(Psy-ai-ai!!! He knows my name! And that British accent just made him twice as intimidating! May I faint now?)

"Um…" the Judge said. "Is the prosecution or defense ready?"

"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor," Bladeston said. "Though I think there may be something wrong with the defense."

"Mr. Turner?" the Judge said. "Are you alright?"

"I'm… fine… Your Honor… Really!" I muttered, trying to hide my nervousness… and ending up with a crash and burn. "The defense is r-r-ready."

"Hmm…" the Judge said, "I certainly hope so. You are defending your own sister, after all. Now, Mr. Bladeston, your opening statement, please."

"Yes, Your Honor," Bladeston said. "The defendant, Ms. Midori Turner, is accused of murdering her former client, Professor Bail Sourceton. She was found at the scene of the crime holding the presumed murder weapon. Blood was on her hands as well."

"I see…" the Judge said. "And has the prosecution established a motive yet, Mr. Bladeston?"

"We have yet to establish a motive, Your Honor," Bladeston said. "The evidence seemed… insufficient. Right now, we are assuming that the murder took place at the spur of the moment, the explanations for which we still do not know. Thus, we shall now have Detective Thurston Razor testify about the crime."

(Detective Razor's gonna testify? But… Eddy only gave him a few short notes and not the actual evidence!)

"Now…" Eddy said, "You're gonna see why Detective Razor doesn't need evidence, Griff!"

A few seconds later, Razor took the stand.

"Please state your name and occupation," Bladeston said.

"You just said my name and occupation a few seconds ago, buddy," Razor said to Bladeston through his signature fox-smirk. "But, meh, whatever. The name's Thurston Razor, and I'm the detective in charge of the investigation."

"Please testify about the crime scene when you found it, Detective Razor," the Judge said.

**TESTIMONY BEGINS**

"The murder of Professor Bail Sourceton happened sometime around 10:30-10:40 AM," Razor began. "When my investigation team and I arrived at the scene, books were scattered all over the place. There was also a large window. It was broken, and I suppose that was how the murderer broke in. The cause of death was due to loss of blood caused by blunt trauma."

(That last part's the same thing written on the Autopsy Report… Detective Razor didn't memorize it… Did he?)

"Please elaborate more on what was used to murder the victim, Detective," Bladeston said.

"Now when I came across the scene, I assumed that the murder weapon was an old stone rod," Razor continued, and presented the stone rod. "It's actually a part of a small sculpture which we found at the crime scene."

Stone Rod added to the Court Record.

"You think we oughtta check out the new piece of evidence?" Eddy asked.

(Well… I guess so…)

"Okay," I said, and began to examine the Stone Rod. As always, I zoomed in first to check. I found a lot of dried bloodstains, and there were also fingerprints… Midori's fingerprints… I rotated it clockwise, then turned it a full 360 degrees. The stone rod was hollow. I found the part where the rod had broken off the sculpture, but something was kinda weird about that… There was a missing chunk of stone. That, and the part where the missing chunk was supposed to be was smooth…

Stone Rod information updated.

"Hmm…" the Judge said, "Detective Razor, you mentioned that you merely 'assumed' that the stone rod presented a while ago was the murder weapon…"

"I _assumed_ that that rod was the murder weapon because of the fingerprints and bloodstains," Razor said. "However, this stone rod is NOT the real murder weapon. My investigation team and I have reason to believe that the stone rod's only a decoy to divert our attention from the real murder weapon, which we have no idea is even up to now."

(How'd Razor come up with that?)

"Detective Razor has this awesome comprehension skill," Eddy said. "I'm sure he noticed the flaw right away!"

"So you believe that the stone rod presented a while ago is only a decoy…" Bladeston said.

"Yeah, that's about it," Razor replied. "It didn't make any sense that the murderer had to detach the rod from the original sculpture. That'd just be wasting their time, as far as I'm concerned."

"I see…" the Judge said. "Very well. The defense may now begin the cross-examination."

(:Gulp: I have no idea how Bladeston's gonna respond to my questions… Dammit! I better not goof up here! And more importantly, I shouldn't use the Wahrheitron right away… I better find out how Bladeston handles cross-examinations first!)

"Are you sure you don't wanna use the Wahrheitron yet, Griff?" Eddy asked.

"I have to see how Bladeston does first," I said.

I turned off the Wahrheitron for a while, and started the cross-examination.

**CROSS-EXAMINATION**

"The murder of Professor Bail Sourceton happened sometime around 10:30-10:40 AM."

HOLD IT!

"What time did you arrive at the scene, Detective?" I asked.

"We arrived just a few minutes after you and Eddy did, remember?" Razor replied. "So I'd say I got there at around 10:45. I got there as fast as I could when Eddy called me, after all."

"So… uh, how were you able to determine the time of death?" I asked.

"Haha. I'm a professional detective, Griff," Razor said. "I can't just go around telling others my secrets about determining a victim's time of death."

"Yeah, but could you just—" I tried to say, but I was cut off.

OBJECTION! (Graargh! Even his "Objection" is creepy!)

"The detective's methods are irrelevant to this case, Mr. Turner," Bladeston said. "Please, let us move on to something significant."

(Damn it…)

"When my investigation team and I arrived at the scene, books were scattered all over the place."

HOLD IT!

"Uh…" I said. "What kinda books were these?" (Oh, REALLY NICE QUESTION, Griffin!)

OBJECTION!

"Mr. Turner…" Bladeston said, "I honestly do not think that asking about the kind of books found at the crime scene will help progress this trial… Unless of course… You believe otherwise and wish to continue questioning Detective Razor about the books?"

"Well, Mr. Turner?" the Judge asked. "Do you believe that the kind of books at the crime scene are relevant to this case?"

(I've got only two options here… I better not screw this one up! Okay! Which option should I go for?)

**CONTINUE ASKING ABOUT THE BOOKS.**

… **NEVER MIND.**

(Well, I don't have any leads so far, so I guess I should just go with Option A…)

"I would like to continue questioning Detective Razor about the books, Your Honor," I said.

"Alright then," the Judge said. "Detective Razor, please testify about the books."

"The books at the crime scene were all these weird, ghost-related ones. I'm not exactly sure if those were for research or something."

HOLD IT!

"Uh… Was there anything strange about the books that were scattered?" I asked.

"Well, for one thing, a lotta pages were torn out," Razor said. "I think the murderer was looking for something in Professor Sourceton's study."

"What was the murderer looking for in those books?" Bladeston asked.

"I dunno," Razor said. "But the way the pages were torn, it looked like something really important. The books were ripped to shreds, in, oh, around 2.573 seconds, so, yeah, I'd say that the murderer was looking for something important in those books for them to have ripped them so fast."

"Wow…" I muttered. "How was Detective Razor able to tell the speed of the ripping?"

"Hehe," Eddy said. "That's one of the reasons why he doesn't need the actual evidence!"

(The murderer was looking for something in the books and ripped them to shreds rapidly, huh? Looks like this might be a _motive_…)

"And one of the books bears Midori Turner's fingerprints," Razor said.

"WHAT?!" I suddenly screamed. "W-Which one?!"

"It was this heavy, leather-bound book," Razor said. "Nothing was suspicious about it, though. No pages were torn out."

"And where is this book right now?" Bladeston asked.

"It's still being analyzed," Razor replied.

(Aww, man… This can't be good.)

"So the murderer was looking for something in Professor Sourceton's books…" the Judge said. "What else did you see?"

"Well," Razor said, pausing for a while. "Other than the books…"

"There was also a large window. It was broken, and I suppose that was how the murderer broke in."

(I've got something to counter this… I just hope it's not pointless to present that evidence.)

OBJECTION!

"Detective Razor…" I said, presenting the Glass Shards. "These are shards from the broken window, right?"

"Yeah," Razor said. "Ah, I get it. You're wondering how the window got broken… when it was made of _bulletproof glass_, right?"

"Yeah…" I said. (Uh-oh… I didn't present the wrong evidence, did I?)

"Bulletproof glass?" Bladeston suddenly said, looking a little bit more interested in the trial. (Did his eyes just glow red:Shudder:)

"Yep. For some reason, Professor Sourceton had bulletproof glass installed into his study window," Razor said. "Bullets can't penetrate the glass, so the window couldn't have broken normally."

"If that's the case…" Bladeston said, "Then that means that the murderer could not have broken in at the spur of the moment. For the window to be broken by something more penetrative than bullets, then that can mean only one thing: **the murder was premeditated**."

"Premeditated?" the Judge asked. "How…?" (I'm wondering the same thing, Your Honor.)

"Hmph," Bladeston said. "Mr. Turner, please remove that blank stare from your face. After all, you were the one who brought up the issue regarding the bulletproof glass."

"M-M-Me?!" I said. "Huh?"

"Mr. Turner…" Bladeston said, sighing. "I really hope that you didn't present that evidence just to counter a contradiction. I'm very sure that you checked this evidence beforehand, so you must have noticed what was wrong with it already, am I correct?"

"If what Mr. Bladeston says is true…" the Judges said, "Then Mr. Turner, please enlighten us about what is strange with this evidence."

"Uh…" I tried to answer. "The glass shard's got two layered sides, so, uh—"

"It's One-Way Bulletproof Glass," Razor suddenly cut in. "The two layers: one brittle, one flexible, are its traits. Bullets that penetrate the brittle layer of polycarbonate thermoplastic shatter it first, and kinetic energy from the bullets is absorbed. If the bullets are fired from an area facing the flexible layer, though, they'll easily break through and make a bullet hole. That leaves the rest of the glass vulnerable to breakage."

(Ouch… I didn't even know about that…)

"I appreciate your detailed answer, Detective," Bladeston said, obviously discontented at my inability to answer on my own. "Now, Mr. Turner, I'm sure you've already found the answer to your query about how the window broke."

"The… The window…" I said, "… It was broken from the inside!!! Someone fired a gun from the inside and shattered the glass!"

"My guess is that it musta been a silenced gunshot…" Razor said. "My team hasn't found any bullets at the scene, but that theory's pretty plausible."

Glass Shard information updated.

"… But still, that doesn't prove who the real murderer is!" I said. "There wouldn't be any reason to break the window if the murderer had already gained entry into Professor Sourceton's house!"

OBJECTION!

"If that is what you believe, then please back it up with evidence, Mr. Turner!" Bladeston said.

I didn't have any evidence and had to back down… But somehow, the case was already getting a little bit more clear. I just didn't have the proper evidence yet.

(This isn't good… Every time I find something wrong with the testimony, Bladeston just stomps all over my argument!)

"Now, please continue with your testimony, Detective," Bladeston said.

"The cause of death was due to loss of blood caused by blunt trauma. I assumed that the murder weapon was an old stone rod."

HOLD IT!

"You suspected that the murder weapon was the stone rod, right?" I said.

"Yep," Razor replied. "Looking at the crime scene, the first thing you'd expect to be the murder weapon'd be the stone rod because it's probably the only thing that could cause such bleeding. But there are a lotta things that don't fit."

"What do you mean by 'the things that don't fit', Detective?" I asked.

"The wound caused by the blow on the head doesn't match what the stone rod would leave," Razor continued, and presented a photo. The photo showed Sourceton's head, as well as the large, bloody wound on it. (Gross… No need for a close-up of it!) "… As you can see, the wound on the head is a somewhat-ovoid shape. But the mark left by the presumed murder weapon would be far too slim compared to the wound we've got on the photo."

(So the wound's a lot broader than what the rod would make, huh?)

Crime Photo added to the Court Record.

"But…" I said, "What about the blood on the stone rod?"

"It could've easily been wiped on," Razor said.

"That isn't the only reason why you only 'assumed' that the stone rod is the murder weapon, is it, Detective?" Bladeston said.

"You got _good eyes_, Mr. Bladeston," Razor said with a small fox grin.

"I _assumed_ that that rod was the murder weapon because of the fingerprints and bloodstains. However, this stone rod is NOT the real murder weapon."

HOLD IT!

"Could you, uh… Enlighten us on why you don't think the stone rod's the murder weapon?" I asked. "Other than the wound shape, that is."

"It'd be pointless to break off that rod from the sculpture," Razor said. "It'd just end up wasting the murderer's time."

"Why do you think that, Detective?" I asked.

OBJECTION!

"Detective Razor has already explained that, Mr. Turner," Bladeston said. "Not only does the wound not match the type of imprint the rod would make… But it would be pointless to break off the rod from the sculpture. We have all agreed that the stone rod in question is only a mere decoy."

(Damn it! Bladeston's pummeling me and crushing me down to a pulp! There's gotta be a way around this!)

"It didn't make any sense that the murderer had to detach the rod from the original sculpture. That'd just be wasting their time, as far as I'm concerned."

HOLD IT!

"Why would it be a waste of time to detach the rod?" I asked.

"Just because," Razor said.

"E-Excuse me?" I said, confused.

"It'd be a waste of time because it's a waste of time," Razor said, smirking again. "It's really that simple, you know!" He let out a short laugh after that.

"Hehe, I guess it IS kinda funny," Eddy said, chuckling.

(It's no laughing matter…)

BANG!

"Enough about the stone rod!" the Judge said. "What I am more interested in, Detective, is the sculpture to which the rod was originally attached to… Was there anything odd about the sculpture?"

"Well…" Razor said, thinking for a while. "The sculpture itself had no fingerprints whatsoever. It appears that the stone rod was broken off by some sort of tool."

"I see…" the Judge said. "Were any tools found at the crime scene?"

"None, Your Honor," Razor replied.

"Please amend your testimony, Detective Razor," the Judge said.

"The sculpture itself had no fingerprints whatsoever. It appears that the stone rod was broken off by some sort of tool."

HOLD IT!

"What kind of tool do you suppose was used, Detective?" I asked.

"A hammer's pretty likely," Razor said. "Then again, the stone wasn't that hard, so even a really heavy book could've broken it."

"Didn't you mention a while ago that books were scattered on the floor with ripped pages?" Bladeston asked. "… And didn't one of those books bear Ms. Midori Turner's fingerprints? It was a _heavy, leather-bound book_, am I correct?"

"Ah!" Razor said. "So you're saying…"

"That's right," Bladeston replied. "**It was Midori Turner herself who broke off the stone rod… by using a heavy book!**"

OBJECTION!

"But…" I grasped, "No! Sis would never—"

OBJECTION!

"While her actions seem confusing at this point in time," Bladeston continued, "It is clear that the rod was, in fact, broken by the defendant. No tools were found at the crime scene, and the only book that hadn't been ripped to shreds was this particular one. And this leads me to a theory: the defendant used the book to break off the stone rod and used it to divert the police's attention, while the real murder weapon was hidden somewhere!"

(No… It can't be…)

The courtroom began to get noisy.

BANG!

"Well, that seems to be the end of the cross-examination," the Judge said. "I am now ready to hand over a verdict."

I felt like I was gonna lose at that point. I had virtually no useful evidence, and I felt like the very reason trial was dragging on was because I couldn't respond correctly. I was really about to give up, when…

**OBJECTION!!!**

"Midori COULD NOT have broken off the rod, Your Honor!" I found myself shouting out. "There is a contradiction!"

"W-What? A contradiction?!" the Judge said, surprised. "What do you mean by that, Mr. Turner?"

"It's simple, Your Honor!" I said. "Detective Razor said that the stone rod was broken off by a tool. Mr. Bladeston theorized that Midori broke it off with the heavy book and used it to serve as a decoy." I did a desk slam. "However! It couldn't have been my sister who broke off the stone rod!"

OBJECTION!

"Mr. Turner, I really do not wish to play any more of these games of yours!" Bladeston snapped, and pointed his right finger at me. (ACK! Creepy objection pose! Psy-ai-ai-ai-ai!!!) "Show us the evidence which proves this contradiction!"

Though I was still pretty confused at what I just did, I decided to present the evidence anyway: the Stone Rod.

TAKE THAT!

"The presumed murder weapon?" the Judge asked. "How does this show the contradiction?"

"Please take a closer look at it, Your Honor," I said… for some reason.

"A closer look…" the Judge said, inspecting the stone rod. "Oh! What's this? … A chunk of stone is missing from it! And not only that, the mark left by the missing piece… Why, it's smooth! The missing piece would fit perfectly in it! It looks like—!"

"A PUZZLE PIECE SLOT!!!" Razor suddenly said.

"The stone rod…" I said, finally understanding the mystery surrounding the stone rod, "Is actually a completely detachable piece from the sculpture!"

OBJECTION!

"Why on earth would that stone rod be detachable then?!" Bladeston said.

"Because it's actually a secret compartment!" I said, and presented the rod once again. "Notice how it's hollow. I'd say that hole'd be big enough to hold a ballpoint pen… The sculpture contains a penholder! It's only disguised as a part of the statue, but its real purpose is for keeping… well, ballpoint pens!"

The Judge inspected the stone rod again. Razor did, too. Surprisingly, I was right! It really was a penholder!

(Wow, that was unexpected! Who knew that stone rod was actually used to keep pens?)

"That means that…" Bladeston said, "The murderer had full knowledge about the penholder being detachable…"

"_THEN MIDORI COULDN'T HAVE DETACHED THE STONE ROD!!!_" I said. "There wouldn't be a need to use a book to break it off because simply pressing on it would detach it from the sculpture! She didn't even know that the rod was a pen-holder, thus, couldn't have been the one who detached it! … The only thing that the prosecution has proven to be true about this rod… is that it ISN'T the murder weapon."

"…" Bladeston muttered. "That's right… This stone rod most definitely is not the murder weapon…"

"Then what can you say about the bloodstains and fingerprints, Mr. Turner?" the Judge asked.

"My sister only held the stone rod for a brief period of time," I said. "She came upon the scene and was shocked, and held the stone rod by accident!"

The people in the courtroom began to mumble again. The Judge banged his gavel and yelled "Order!" to keep them quiet.

(Whew… Looks like I was finally able to prove a point to Bladeston!)

"Nice job, Griff!" Eddy said. "You did well even without the Wahrheitron!"

"Well done, Mr. Turner," I heard Bladeston say. "That's quite an interesting theory you've got there… But, will it hold against… _An Eyewitness Account_?"

("Eyewitness Account"… GAH!!! I totally forgot!)

"What is it, Griff?" Eddy asked. "Why'd your eyes and mouth suddenly get bigger?"

"Hmm?" the Judge said. "You have a witness for us, Mr. Bladeston?"

"Indeed I do, Your Honor," Bladeston said. "In fact, he has been waiting in the Prosecution Lobby for a while now… The prosecution would like to call Mr. Azmond Saltby to testify."

(Azmond Saltby… That sexist old man who claims to have seen sis "in the act"…)

A few moments later, Saltby came up to the stand. As always, he looked gruff, emphasized by his spiky gray hair and beard, accented by the cigarette in his mouth, which he didn't even smoke. Saltby looked impatient, even slightly nervous, that day… It almost looked like he was hiding something.

"Will the witness please state his name and occupation?" Bladeston said.

"Aye!" Saltby said. "I be Azmond Saltby, former sea cap'n! Ye may have heard about me and me famous ship, the 'Pokequod'! Aye, she was a fine ship she was! We used ta sail all the seas together! Yar, but I be an old sea dog with no ship now! I be feelin' like Luffy when the 'Goin' Merry' broke! And I ain't got no Franky ta help me git a new ship! Yargh!"

The courtroom suddenly grew silent.

"Er…" the Judge said, "Could you, um, please repeat that part about the, er… everything?"

"Yargh!!!" Saltby said. "Are ya mockin' me or somethin'?! Why, I'll have ya know I can pick fights even at this old age!"

(Oh, geez… This is gonna be a handful. :Sigh:)

"Mr. Saltby…" Bladeston said. "You are an ex-sea captain, correct? Please behave like a proper one and give us your testimony without any more disturbances!"

"!!! … Aye, sir!" Saltby suddenly said, and became quiet. (I can't believe it! Bladeston actually shut Saltby up!)

"Ahem… Now," the Judge said, "Please testify about what you witnessed, Mr. Saltby."

"Aye, Cap'n Whitebeard!" Saltby said.

"They're muttonchops!!!" the Judge said. "… And they're not white!"

**TESTIMONY BEGINS**

"Let's see…" Saltby began, "The time was aroun' 10:30. I was watchin' old cartoon episodes on my UMD Player, yargh. I got up ta git me a drink, and as I passed by me window, I heard this sound."

"What was this sound?" Bladeston asked.

"Yar, it sounded like breakin' glass!" Saltby said. "I looked out, and saw a trail o' broken glass a-comin' from Old Sourcey's study!"

"Wait!" I said. "How were you able to see Professor Sourceton's study?"

"Mr. Saltby's living room window directly faces Professor Sourceton's study window," Bladeston said, and presented a map. "Here is a topographical map of Kurain Village, specifically, a map of the area where the victim, Professor Sourceton's residence is located. As you can see, Mr. Saltby's house is right across the street, and his living room window faces Professor Sourceton's study window. The ground isn't level, but it's possible to see what's going on on either side. The distance between the two houses is 30 feet."

Topographical Map added to the Court Record.

"Please add the part about how far away you were from the crime scene to your testimony, Mr. Saltby," the Judge said.

"Yar!" Saltby said. "I was 30 feet away from Old Sourcey's window… But I still saw everything! It was an orange-haired woman! She attacked Old Sourcey, argh! And then, t'was all over! Old Sourcey was killed, by a gawsh-durn woman, no less! YARGH!"

(Grr… Stop talking about Midori like that!)

"That's the same thing he said yesterday, Griff!" Eddy said.

"… He's hiding something. I know it," I said, and turned the Wahrheitron on again. "And I'm gonna make him tell the truth1 My sister's innocent!"

"You may begin your cross-examination, Mr. Turner," the Judge said.

**CROSS-EXAMINATION**

"The time was aroun' 10:30. I was watchin' old cartoon episodes on my UMD Player, yargh."

HOLD IT!

"How'd you know the time, Mr. Saltby?" I asked.

"My UMD Player's got a digital watch, yar," Saltby said. "I was watchin' a pirate cartoon at 10:30, so I know the time, yar."

(:Sweatdrop: He watches pirate cartoons… Anyway! There isn't much to question him on in that statement. I better move on.)

"I got up ta git me a drink, and as I passed by me window, I heard this sound. Yar, it sounded like breakin' glass!"

HOLD IT!

"And around what time was this?" I asked.

"What's with ya and time, yargh?" Saltby said. "Methinks it was 10:35, yargh…"

"You heard Professor Sourceton's window break at that time, right?" I asked. "Exactly how much do you know about Professor Sourceton, anyway?"

"Yahargh!" Saltby said. "Old Sourcey and me've been friends for a long time! Well, his job's pretty weird, argh… I never really understood a thing he said, but I helped him drink his wine. Yar! And he always had some mighty fine wine!"

"Ooookaaay…" I said, sweatdropping. "Did you know that the Professor's window was made of bulletproof glass?"

"…" Saltby mumbled, and paused. "… O' course I did. I was there when it was installed, yargh!"

(Whoa. That was unexpected!)

"So… You had full knowledge about the window being bulletproof?" I asked.

"YARGH!!!" Saltby yelled. "Do I need ta repeat myself? Sheesh! I knew that window was bulletproof, which is why I was shocked to hear the sound of breaking glass comin' from Old Sourcey's place! In fact, I even checked it myself once or twice, yar!"

(Wahrheitron's not beeping yet… And the time he said he heard the sound was around the same time Eddy and I heard it as well, so he can't be lying there…)

"What did you do after you heard the breaking glass, Mr. Saltby?" Bladeston asked.

"I looked out, and saw a trail o' broken glass a-comin' from Old Sourcey's study! I was 30 feet away from Old Sourcey's window…"

HOLD IT!

"You still saw the trail of broken glass even at that distance?" I asked. "You _clearly_ saw the trail of broken glass?"

"Argh! O' course I did!" Saltby said. "Di'n't I tell ya that me eyesight was still sharp already?"

"So that means…" I said, "That you also know how the window broke?"

"I, uh… Argh…" Saltby suddenly muttered, and began to sweat.

OBJECTION!

"The witness stated that he only heard the sound of the breaking glass," Bladeston suddenly butted in. "I doubt he was also able to see the actual glass breaking."

"N-No! Wait!" Saltby said. "That boy over thar's a-playin' mind games with me, but I'll be playin' along for now, since I ain't tellin' no lies!"

"You're going to testify about the broken glass, then…" the Judge said. "Carry on!"

"Yar, I was actually able ta catch a glimpse of how the window broke. There was a person outside, and that person fired at the window!"

OBJECTION!

I got him! I did a desk slam, pointed at Saltby, and said, "There's a contradiction in that statement!"

"Yar?!" Saltby said. "What're ya blabbin' about, argh?!"

"Mr. Saltby," I said, "You just said that you had full knowledge about Professor Sourceton's window being bulletproof. You also said that you were there when the glass was installed. And that's why you were shocked when you heard the sound of it shattering, correct?"

"Argh, that's right…" Saltby said.

"BUT!" I said, doing another desk slam. "You just said that you saw the person who broke the window break it _from the outside_! That's impossible, since the glass, which happens to be One-Way Bulletproof Glass, can only be broken by a gunshot_ fired from the inside_!"

"Ah… Ah… ARGH!!!" Saltby said, and jumped up in the air in shock.

OBJECTION!

"There's one flaw with your argument, Mr. Turner!" Bladeston said, doing a desk slam as well. He pointed at me again and said, "It's possible that the witness DID NOT KNOW about the window being made of One-Way Bulletproof Glass!"

OBJECTION!

"Even THAT isn't possible, Mr. Bladeston!" I said. "Mr. Saltby said it himself: _He himself checked the window a few times beforehand_!!!"

"Ah… Ah!" Bladeston muttered. "Mr. Saltby! Please explain this!"

"I… uh…" Saltby said. "… Argh… I remember now! It slipped my mind! The person I saw DIDN'T fire at the window… It was already broken, yargh!"

(W-What?! No wai!!! C'mon, Wahrheitron! Beep! That's a lie!)

The Wahrheitron didn't beep… That meant that Saltby was telling the truth! It seemed that he really did just forget about what happened when the window shattered… The Judge allowed Saltby to continue his testimony, but I was sure that I was just a little bit closer to uncovering the truth. The old pirate was bound to slip up sooner or later.

"But I still saw everything! It was an orange-haired woman! She attacked Old Sourcey, argh! And then, t'was all over!"

HOLD IT!

"Are you sure that the one you saw attacking Professor Sourceton…" I said, "… Was an orange-haired woman?" (I better not screw up with this line of questioning… For Midori's sake!)

"Yargh, that's right!" Saltby said.

"Could you please tell us about how… uh, 'this person' attacked Professor Sourceton?" I asked.

"The woman got a stick-like thing," Saltby said. "Then she raised it and hit Old Sourcey on the head REAL HARD, yargh! Old Sourcey's head bled, and he fell flat on the floor! I witnessed all this from me window!"

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

THAT'S A LIE!!!

Finally… I came across something! I checked the screen and found the red wavelength, which indicated that Saltby was telling a lie. The Corpus Meters showed up again, too. I still had 50 EP's, but Saltby had 75! That meant that he was covering up the lie as well as he could, and I had to present my best evidence to get him to crack open and tell the truth!

"Mr. Saltby," I said, "I know that you're not telling the truth!"

"What the Thousand Sunny are ya talkin' 'bout?!" Saltby said. "I ain't lyin'! … Alright, fine! If ya really believe that I ain't tellin' the truth, show me some proof, ya scallywag!"

(You're on, old man! I've got the right evidence now!)

**WAHRHEITRON INTERROGATION PHASE**

COURT RECORD:

ATTORNEY'S BADGE

- My treasured Attorney's Badge. Having it on makes me feel like a real man!

AUTOPSY REPORT

- The Autopsy Report of the victim, Bail Sourceton. Death was caused by blood loss due to blunt trauma.

FLOOR PLANS

- Floor Plans to Professor Sourceton's study.

SOURCETON'S BODY POSITION

- Position of the victim before the murder. It appears as if the victim was bowing to something.

GREEN STONE

- A strange, bloody stone found on Sourceton's desk. Appears to be only half of a larger stone, has a strange indentation on the back.

GLASS SHARDS

- Shards of One-Way Bulletproof Glass from Sourceton's window.

LUMINOL TESTING FLUID

- A chemical solution which reacts to, and finds, invisible blood stains.

STONE ROD

- A detachable penholder disguised as a rod from a sculpture. Presumably used as a decoy murder weapon.

CRIME PHOTO

- A snapshot showing the wound on Professor Sourceton's head.

TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP

- A map of the area in Kurain Village where Bail Sourceton and Azmond Saltby's houses are located.

There was already a contradiction in the statement about the murder weapon, so I took a shot at that first. I presented the Stone Rod.

TAKE THAT!

"W-What the…?" Saltby said.

"This is the 'stick-like thing' that you saw, Mr. Saltby," I said. "You believe that this is the murder weapon, correct?"

"Yar, it is…" Saltby said. "What about it?"

"The thing is…" I said, "This isn't the real murder weapon! You said that you saw a woman attack Professor Sourceton with this rod, but that's not true!"

"WHAAAAT?!" Saltby screamed. "Ya bloomin' scallywag! Ya can't prove—"

TAKE THAT!

"Yes I can, Mr. Saltby!" I said, and presented the Crime Photo. "This is a photo of the wound left on the victim's head. It's an oval shape; a shape that can't possibly be left by a long stone penholder such as this!"

"GRAAAARRGGH!!!" Saltby yelled. At the same time, he lost 25 EP's from his Corpus Meter. (Yes! I got him now!)

"Hmph…" I heard Bladeston say, "Please calm down, Mr. Saltby. What the defense has just proven… IS EXACTLY WHAT THE PROSECUTION HAS PROVEN ONLY A WHILE AGO!!!"

"Stealing the prosecution's thunder is wrong, Mr. Turner!" the Judge said. "I'm going to have to penalize you for that!" The Judge then gave me a penalty… Strangely enough, I lost 15 EP's from my Corpus Meter…

(Dang it! Penalties can affect my Corpus Meter?! I better watch what I present next or _**I**_ might end up losing this one!)

"Oops…" Eddy said, grinning sheepishly. "I kinda forgot to tell you that Court Penalties can inflict damage on your Corpus Meter, Griff… Sorry!"

"Ah, never mind that!" I said. "I've still got to prove that Saltby's lying!"

"Mr. Turner, if you are going to prove a point, then by all means at least try to be original!" Bladeston said, with a slight smirk. (GAH!!! Evil menacing grin!!!) "You _can_ do better than _that_, can't you? Go on! Have you any more evidence?"

(Grr… Even Bladeston's taunting me now! And he's 10 times scarier that way! I gotta find something…)

I found the other contradiction in Saltby's statement. It was kinda confusing at first, but I finally found out what could counter it after a few seconds.

TAKE THAT!

"What… What exactly is this, Mr. Turner?" Bladeston said.

"This is Sourceton's body position at the time of death!" I said, presenting Sourceton's Body Position.

"And… How does this prove the contradiction?" Bladeston asked.

"Mr. Saltby said, and I quote, 'Old Sourcey's head bled, and he _fell flat on the floor_!'," I said. "If what he said was true, that Sourceton **fell flat to the floor** when he died, then why is it that his body is in a **bowing position**?"

"Ah!" Saltby said. "That's, uh… I…"

OBJECTION!

"Are you so sure that that really is Professor Sourceton's body position _upon death_?" Bladeston asked me. "There is no proof of that, Mr. Turner!"

OBJECTION!

"Yeah there is, Mr. Bladeston!" I said. "Please take a closer look at the white tape used to take the shape and position of the body."

"!!! It's…" Bladeston said, surprised. He himself was beginning to break into a sweat.

"Oh! The tape… It's!" the Judge said, surprised as well. "The tape clearly shows how the victim's elbows and knees were locked! Professor Sourceton really was bowing down upon death! But why?"

"Uh, actually… I'm kinda confused about that too, Your Honor!" I said, and twiddled my fingers for a while. "But anyways! What matters now is that the witness was incorrect in describing what he saw!"

"YAAAARRGGHH!!!" Saltby yelled, and began to chew on his cigarette. "Ya darn kid!"

Saltby lost 25 more EP's after that. There were only 25 more till he could tell the truth!

"And there's more, too!" I said, getting ready to present the evidence to the last contradiction in Saltby's statement. "Mr. Saltby said that he saw the murder occur from his living room window."

"BUT I DID!!!" Saltby yelled. "I SAW THE MURDER TAKE PLACE FROM ME WINDOW!!!"

"That's not what the evidence is saying, Mr. Saltby!" I said. I presented the Topographical Map next. "Mr. Saltby's living room window directly faces Professor Sourceton's study window. There's a distance of 30 feet between the two houses—"

OBJECTION!

"That's a fine effort, Mr. Turner," Bladeston said. He then did a desk slam and pointed at me. "However, the distance between the two houses changes nothing about what the witness saw! The two windows directly face each other, so it would have been entirely possible for Mr. Saltby to see what was going on!"

OBJECTION!

"That's not what I'm trying to say, Mr. Bladeston," I said. "True, the Topographical Map shows that the two windows face each other, and that it's also possible to witness the murder at a distance of 30 feet… But if Mr. Saltby really did see the crime take place from his own home and nowhere else, then **there's something in his testimony that shouldn't be there**!!!"

"Mr. Turner!" the Judge said, confused as always. "What exactly are you trying to say? Do you have any evidence to back this up?"

(Here goes…)

TAKE THAT!

"Yargh!" Saltby said. "Those are… Those are… It can't be, argh!"

"That's right, Mr. Saltby!" I said, and presented the Floor Plans. "These are the floor plans to Professor Sourceton's study. Notice how the ground's slightly elevated at the point where the window meets with the ground?"

"Yes…" Bladeston said. "There's around half a foot of height between the ground and the study room floor… !!!"

"I think you know what I'm getting at," I said. I pointed to Saltby and said, "Mr. Azmond Saltby! If you really did see an orange-haired woman attack Professor Sourceton and make him fall dead to the floor _from your living room window_, then you shouldn't have seen the floor in the first place! You've been lying about what you saw all along!"

"Mr. Turner!" the Judge said. "If all this is true… Then… Where exactly was the witness at the time the murder took place?"

"That's an easy one, Your Honor!" I said, and pointed out Saltby's location on the Floor Plans. "He was HERE, in Professor Sourceton's house! He was just right outside the study!"

"YEAAAAARRRGGHH!!!" Saltby exclaimed, and jumped up in the air. "NOOOOOO!!!"

Finally, the last 25 EP's from Saltby's Corpus Meter disappeared! I did it!

**END WAHRHEITRON INTERROGATION PHASE**

The courtroom was silent for a while… Then I heard something—a laugh, actually—coming from where Saltby was standing.

"M-Mr. Saltby?" the Judge asked. "Are you alright?"

"Hehehehe…" Saltby sniggered. "I suppose ya're gonna make me testify again, eh? Well, I ain't fallin' for it! That flamehead over there's just tryin' ta pin the blame on me! And I ain't gonna stand for it!"

("Flamehead"… Hey! And I wasn't even gonna say that YOU were the murderer anyway, you old geezer!)

"What are you trying to say?" the Judge asked.

"I AIN'T TALKIN'!!!" Saltby said, and folded his arms stubbornly across his chest. "I ain't sayin' nothin' if it's just gonna end up incriminating me! _**I'M STAYING SILENT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED!!!**_"

"You can't be serious!" I said.

"Darn right I am!" Saltby snorted. "… Oh, and before ya go around pointin' yer CP9 finger at me and sayin' that I did it, I got yer proof that I di'n't right here, yargh!"

Saltby tossed a photo. Bladeston took it and looked at it for a while… Then, something I didn't expect happened.

"Your Honor," Bladeston said, presenting the photo, "… It appears we've gotten our hands on some decisive evidence… Evidence, which proves Ms. Midori Turner's guilt."

"_**WHAAAAAAAT?!**_" I found myself screaming. The Judge then showed me what was in the photo. My heart sank. In the photo was Professor Sourceton at the time he was murdered… And the murderer appeared to be… Midori.

"Yahargh!" Saltby sneered. "See? What'd I tell ya?"

(Sis… No… That can't be real!)

Again, I felt like everything was hopeless. After all I was able to prove that day, it was all just gonna go down the drain… My eyesight was failing… The courtroom began to get blurry… I was blacking out… I had lost, and I couldn't do anything about it.

…………

…………

**OBJECTION!!!**

For some reason, I blurted out another "Objection". Everyone in the courtroom looked at me in shock. The Judge was surprised, and so were Bladeston and Saltby.

"Just wait a second, Your Honor!" I said. "There's something wrong with that photo!"

"WHAT?!" the Judge said. "You can't be serious, Mr. Turner!"

"… I see you're holding on to your last strings, even if they've already snapped," Bladeston said. "But it isn't a trait of a good prosecutor to let this act of grasping pass by unaccounted for. All right, Mr. Griffin Turner. Entertain us for one last time!"

I honestly didn't know what came over me, but I just took a good look at the photo again and tried to look for a contradiction, no matter how much it hurt. After a few seconds, I found it, and presented it.

TAKE THAT!

"HERE IS THE FAULT IN THE PHOTO!!!" I yelled.

"What the…" Bladeston mumbled, and looked at the photo again. "AHH!!! This is—"

There really was something wrong with the photo. The woman in it looked like Midori at first glance, but the weird thing was, when I looked a little closer, I realized that IT WASN'T HER. That, and the clothes she was wearing in the photo weren't the ones she wore on the day of the murder. The photo was in black and white, so it was hard to tell at first. But eventually, I found out what was wrong, and was able to present it.

"The woman in that photo is not my sister!" I said. "It's very evident that it's someone disguising herself as her!!!"

"Why, you're right!" the Judge said. "The photo isn't exactly of the best quality, but this woman is definitely not Midori Turner!"

"WHAT?!" Saltby yelled. "But I'm sure! I SAW HER!!!"

The people in the courtroom got noisy again. The Judge banged his gavel again and again and yelled "ORDER!". It wasn't that easy to silence the crowd, though, so the Judge decided to continue the trial on the next day. The bailiff dragged out Saltby, and at the prosecution bench… Bladeston had his arms folded across his chest again, looking even more dissatisfied.

(Whew… That was… a close one… :Thud:)

Everything that just happened was really traumatizing. And at that point, I remember one thing: I fainted.

"_Hey! Griff! Wake up!!! Griff!!!"_


	4. Chemical Formula for Turnabout Day 2B

Chapter Two, Part Three.

This chapter introduces the Facial Expressions system of the Wahrheitron T-3, which works basically like the Minuku System. This chapter also makes mentions of characters you may all be familiar with... Again, I don't own them; Capcom does. Please refer to the disclaimer.

As always, please read, comment, and criticize.

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* * *

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**CHAPTER TWO: THE CHEMICAL FORMULA FOR TURNABOUT**

**Day Two: Investigation**

**April 15, 2:05 PM; Turner and Co. Law Offices**

(Ow… My head hurts…)

"HEY GRIFF!!!"

"GAH!!! Wha… Where…"

I woke up and saw Eddy looking straight at me… I was in the office, lying down on the old sofa. My head really hurt then… I guess it musta been from that fall.

"Glad to see you're finally awake!" Eddy said. "Man, that courtroom battle was intense! The way you suddenly yelled out 'OBJECTION!!!' when Saltby presented that photo… It really didn't feel like you were the one talking! It was like, you suddenly transformed into an uber awesome Monster Defense Attorney!!! I was practically standing in my seat!"

"Uh… really?" I asked. "Monster Defense Attorney?"

"YEAH!!!" Eddy said. "It was like you transformed into one or something! Even Saltby jumped up a few inches when you objected like that!"

"… Wait!" I said. "Saltby… What happened to that sexist old geezer, anyway?"

"Huh?" Eddy said. "Oh! Right! You fainted… Saltby's been taken to the Detention Center. Apparently that little stunt he pulled made the police suspicious. That photo… The Judge still accepted it as evidence, so it's in the Court Record right now."

"So they've labeled him as a suspect now?" I asked.

"I'm not really sure," Eddy said, shrugging. "Detective Razor was the one who handled the situation… That is, after he brought you all the way here!"

"Oh…" I said, a little embarrassed. "I hope I wasn't too much of a burden…"

"Not really!" Eddy said and rubbed the back of his head. "We carried you in Detective Razor's car trunk, anyway."

(YOU WHAT?! I'm surprised no one thought I was a dead body!)

"Oh yeah!" I suddenly remembered. "Do you have any idea where sis was during the trial, and why she wasn't there?"

"She's still in the Detention Center…" Eddy said. "She was retained by the jailer… I mean, seriously! I dunno why that happened! Ms. Midori's a nice lady! They can't keep her in jail just like that just because someone set her up! … And that's why you gotta prove her innocent, Griff!"

(Eddy's right! Poor sis… You were in detention all day! Don't worry; I'll prove you innocent soon!)

"So…" I said, "Any more info on Saltby's arrest?"

"He's been put in detention," Eddy said, "But he's gonna testify again tomorrow— you know, to clear things up: like exactly where he was at the time of the murder."

"I'd actually like to find out about that myself!" I said, and got off the sofa. "C'mon, Eddy! We're going to the Detention Center!"

"What, right now?" Eddy said.

"Yep!" I said. "Afterwards, we can go back to the crime scene and investigate some more."

I was about to leave when I remembered something. I went straight to Midori's desk and searched for that file. Case RYG-33… A murder that involved a member of the Fey Clan… I found the file after a few seconds, reread it, and put in the Court Record.

RYG-33 Case File added to the Court Record.

(Okay, I've got the file now… Maybe this'll help me get some answers outta Saltby!)

* * *

**April 15, 2:27 PM; Detention Center, Visitor's Room**

(Midori's in for questioning again… Looks like I'm gonna have to talk to Saltby first.)

Saltby was looking very annoyed to see me. I wasn't surprised, since I proved that he didn't view the murder from his house, and that the photo he presented was a fake…

"Yargh, whaddya want this time?" Saltby mumbled bitterly. "Ain't ya satisfied enough ta see me stuck here in jail, argh?!"

"Mr. Saltby, all I wanna hear," I said, "Is the truth."

"Yargh!" Saltby said. "Ya young landlubbers nowadays!!! Ya're prolly wantin' ta incriminate me or something! Like I said before… _**I'M STAYING SILENT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED!!!**_"

(:Sigh: Again with the silence… I'm pretty sure that line's overused by now ever since the poker accident…)

"Mr. Saltby!" Eddy suddenly said, "Your friend was just murdered… And you're just gonna act all stubborn and not tell us what you REALLY saw?! Why would you do that—"

"SHADDUP!!!" Saltby snapped, and looked the other way. He didn't say anything and just stared at the wall.

"Damn it!" I said. "How're we gonna make him talk now?"

"Hmm…" Eddy said, rubbing his chin. "… I got it!"

Eddy then whispered something to me. He said that, if I presented him with something interesting, he'd talk. I decided to take a shot at it, and presented the only thing I thought serious enough to prompt Saltby to say something: the RYG-33 Case File. I had a feeling that he knew about it, too.

"Mr. Saltby," I said, presenting the file, "What do you think of this?"

Saltby didn't pay any attention to it for a while… until he sneezed and turned his head in the direction of the file.

"T-That's—!" Saltby said, but stopped mid-sentence.

"Mr. Saltby!" I said, presenting the file again. "I KNOW you know something about this incident! I know that you know Professor Sourceton was involved in this, too! You can't stay silent forever!"

"I… I dun know nothin' 'bout that!" Saltby said, and looked away. He was making all these weird faces, so I knew he wasn't telling the truth. Unfortunately, I didn't know _how_ to make him tell the truth… yet.

"Grr…" I said. "He still won't budge!"

"There's always a way outta everything, Griff!" Eddy said, and smiled. "Looks like it's time for another Wahrheitron T-3 tutorial! … This time, I'll teach you how to use the Facial Expressions Option!"

**WAHRHEITRON T-3 TUTORIAL**

"Alright!" Eddy said, and adjusted his goggles. "We've pretty much covered everything there is to know about the Wahrheitron Basics… Now, I can teach you how to use the more complex features: The Facial Expressions Option and the Camera! Okay! Griff, tell me all you know about _'Lie Detection Through Facial Expression'_!"

(Hey! That's a rhyme! … I mean, GAH! I shouldn't be thinking about that kinda stuff right now!)

"'Lie Detection Through Facial Expression'…" I said, thinking about what I knew. "… Uh… I think that… Uh… Okay, I got nothing!"

"It's pretty easy, actually!" Eddy said. "With the Wahrheitron, every facial expression has a meaning. For example, if a person smiles bigger than usual, that often means that it's a forced smile. Forced smiles mean that that person is hiding something! Others include looking away, looking down, and even pulling at the ears!"

"So how do I work the camera?" I asked.

"You just press the cobalt panel with the red and green buttons… Like this!" Eddy said, and turned the camera on. "By now, a window shoulda popped up. It should show the camera's viewfinder, along with the Play-Pause, Record, Fast Forward, and Stop buttons on the screen. On the upper right side, you should see two arrows. These control the Zoom Option."

"Cool!" I said, and focused the camera onto Saltby, who was apparently unaware of what I was doing. "But… How do I know exactly what each facial expression means?"

"There's an option on the Wahrheitron that tells you what certain expressions mean," Eddy said. "Just press the green button and the analog control pad at the same time and release. That'll open up a window that shows what all facial expressions mean. You can then scroll down to find exactly what you're looking for. Go on, Griff! Try it out!"

(Press the green button and the analog control pad at the same time… Hey! It worked!)

I did as Eddy said and pressed both buttons at the same time. A window popped up, and on it was a list of over 50 different facial expressions and their meanings! I scrolled down and searched for the ones Saltby was making, which were pouting and biting on the lower lip.

(Let's see exactly how Saltby's reacting!)

I found the expressions, and they mean just what I thought they meant. Saltby was definitely hiding something.

"Says here…" I said, "That pouting and biting on the lower lip mean 'possessiveness or secretiveness'… That means Saltby's gotta be hiding something!"

"Yep, seems so…" Eddy said. "But I gotta warn ya, Griff… Sometimes you might mistake one facial expression for another, or come across a facial expression combination, and that could put you on the wrong track once you've started the actual interrogation. To be sure, always set the camera's zoom to 800x. That way, it wouldn't be too hard to catch more well-hidden facial expressions!"

"Gotcha!" I said, and set the zoom to 800x. "Hmm… Yep, Saltby's definitely pouting and biting his lower lip!"

"Okay, then!" Eddy said, and outstretched his right arm again. "Let's start the interrogation!"

**WAHRHEITRON INTERROGATION PHASE**

I already knew that Saltby was hiding something; I just had to make him tell me what it was. The Corpus Meters showed up again, this time with Saltby and me each having 50 EP's.

"Mr. Saltby, you're hiding something!" I said. "You know about how Professor Sourceton was involved in the RYG-33 Case!"

"Yar, I'm tellin' ya, I dun know nothin' 'bout that!" Saltby said.

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

THAT'S A LIE!!!

Using the Facial Expressions Option really was a lot harder than using the Voice Pattern Option. For one thing, Saltby wasn't saying anything. That made it a lot harder to tell where the lie was. All I had to focus on were semi-ambiguous facial expressions, decipher their meanings, and present evidence against them. I had to prove that Saltby was hiding something first, so I decided to take him on and charge against the facial expression he was making.

RIGHT THERE!

"Mr. Saltby," I said, pointing at him, "You're hiding something, but those faces you're making don't do you justice! In fact, it's pretty easy to tell that you're keeping a secret!"

"YARGH!" Saltby yelled, and began to sweat. "What are ya talkin' bout?! Ya wanna prove that I know somethin' 'bout that case thang? Well?! Show me yer proof, landlubber!"

(Saltby's hiding something… That, I've already proven! … But what evidence do I have that can prove that he knows about the case?)

… I myself was really confused. I needed the right evidence… Evidence that was somehow linked to the RYG-33 case: the murder of Edna Fey wherein Sourceton was a witness…

(It's no good. I need to check the Court Record!)

COURT RECORD:

ATTORNEY'S BADGE

- My treasured Attorney's Badge. Having it on makes me feel like a real man!

AUTOPSY REPORT

- The Autopsy Report of the victim, Bail Sourceton. Death was caused by blood loss due to blunt trauma.

FLOOR PLANS

- Floor Plans to Professor Sourceton's study.

SOURCETON'S BODY POSITION

- Position of the victim before the murder. It appears as if the victim was bowing to something.

GREEN STONE

- A strange, bloody stone found on Sourceton's desk. Appears to be only half of a larger stone, has a strange indentation on the back.

GLASS SHARDS

- Shards of One-Way Bulletproof Glass from Sourceton's window.

LUMINOL TESTING FLUID

- A chemical solution, which reacts to, and finds, invisible blood stains.

STONE ROD

- A detachable penholder disguised as a rod from a sculpture. Presumably used as a decoy murder weapon.

CRIME PHOTO

- A snapshot showing the wound on Professor Sourceton's head.

CRIME PHOTO 2 (DISPUTED)

- A photo of the actual crime. The supposed "Midori" in the photo is questionable.

TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP

- A map of the area in Kurain Village where Bail Sourceton and Azmond Saltby's houses are located.

RYG-33 CASE FILE

- Case Summary, Victim Data, and Suspect Information on the murder of Edna Fey.

(Urrgh… I can't find anything here!)

"There doesn't seem to be anything in the Court Record that's connected to the RYG-33 Case, huh, Griff?" Eddy said.

"Aww, man!" I said. "I can't make Saltby tell the truth if I don't have the right evidence now!!! … Maybe I shouldn't have started the interrogation too fast… Aww man, this sucks!!!"

"Maybe the Case File itself can give us a clue!" Eddy said, and looked at the file. "Let's see… Victim: Edna Fey… Guilty: Blaine Brock… Witnesses: Reginald Loki, Bail Sourceton, Felix Sourceton… WAIT A MINUTE! Who on earth is _'Felix Sourceton'_?!"

"I dunno about that, too," I said. "That's actually why I took the Case File in the first place! Maybe this Felix Sourceton's linked to **this** murder… Somehow!"

"Well, we don't have any clues on him right now, either," Eddy said with his eyes closed, and scratched his head. "In fact, the only thing in this Case File that's sorta familiar is the victim's last name, 'Fey'…"

(Fey… The clan that ruled Kurain Village until they were wiped out… They were spirit mediums, and were known for that weird half-Ying-Yang-ish symbol of theirs, the "Magatama"… Wait a minute! Could it be—)

An idea just hit me. I wasn't sure if I was right, but I decided to give presenting that piece of evidence a shot.

(If I'm right, then that means I'm a step closer to solving this mystery!)

TAKE THAT!

"Eh?" Saltby asked, confused. "Whazzat?"

"I'm sure you know what this is, Mr. Saltby!" I said, presenting the weird, bloody green stone we found on Sourceton's desk. (Though I'm not really sure about what it is, too…) "This is… Uh… Something that used to belong to Professor Sourceton…?"

"… Yargh! Ya pullin' me leg or somethin'?!" Saltby snapped. "I'm tellin' ya, I dunno what that is!"

"Uh… Griff?" Eddy said, "What're you trying to do? You'll end up losing your EP's if you continue that line of questioning!"

"Don't worry, Eddy!" I said with a slight smirk. I continued asking Saltby, "You're sure you know nothing about this?"

"ARE YA CRAZY, LANDLUBBER?!" Saltby exploded, "I TOLD YA!!! I DUN KNOW WHAT IT IS!!!"

(Ack! SCARY!!! Aww, man, I'm risking my EP's for this… I hope my hunch is right!)

"Griff!" Eddy said. "He's really annoyed now! You should really stop before he jumps at you and chomps your arm off like a crocodile—!"

"Just a bit more, Eddy! I've almost got him!" I said, and asked Saltby one last thing. "You're absolutely sure that you dunno what this is? Because… I think… THAT IT'S CANDY!!!"

"GRIFF!!!" Eddy said, shocked. "WHAT THE?!"

"FRIGGEN SCALLYWAG!!!" Saltby yelled, burning an angry red. "STOP WASTIN' MY TIME!!! I AIN'T INTERESTED IN NONE OF YER STUPID JOKES OR SOME _BROKEN MAGATAMA_!!!"

(… Gotcha.)

"Gotcha, Mr. Saltby!" I said. "That was real persistent of you, but you slipped up in the end! You couldn't have known or even guessed that this stone's actually a broken magatama… unless you knew about the RYG-33 Case, or more specifically… the Fey Clan! And that's pretty contradictory, too, since you yourself said that you 'had no interest in Sourceton's studies'!!!"

"WHAT?!" Saltby yelled again. "D-Damn it!" He lost 25 EP's after that…

"Whoa!" Eddy said, and gave me a hi-five. "I didn't see THAT coming! Nice one, Griff!"

"YARGH!!!" Saltby yelled again. "Ya… Ya still ain't gonna make me talk! … Whaddya think yer drivin' at, anyway?!"

"I think…" I said, "… I think that the RYG-33 Case is completely related to this murder! That, and I know that you know what really happened, too!"

"Oh really?" Saltby taunted, "Well, if yer real sure 'bout that… Then show me yer proof, by thunder! Show me proof that that there case thang's related to this murder, and that I know what really happened!"

"… I… Uh…" I said. (Dammit! I don't have any proof at all!)

"Yahargh! See?" Saltby taunted again. I lost 20 EP's. "Try again when ya got real proof!"

Saltby turned his back on me again… He wasn't saying anything, and I knew that I needed more evidence to get him to talk!

**END WAHRHEITRON INTERROGATION PHASE**

"I guess we'll have to try again, huh, Griff?" Eddy said.

"Yeah," I said, kinda disappointed. "We're gonna need some more evidence!"

**END WAHRHEITRON T-3 TUTORIAL**

"Let's get back to the crime scene, Eddy!" I said.

Eddy and I left the Detention Center and went straight to the express rail stop… After 30 minutes, we made it back to Kurain.

* * *

**April 15, 3:15 PM; Kurain Village; Sourceton Residence**

Detective Razor was already there. When he saw me and Eddy, he ran towards us with a bunch of papers.

"Nice to see you've regained consciousness, Griff!" Razor said, smirking. "Lucky for you I was around to carry you all the way back to your office after you fainted in court!"

(In your CAR TRUNK, yeah…)

"Hey, what're those, Detective?" Eddy asked.

"We've found something interesting," Razor said, and handed us the papers. "This is a copy of the updates to the Autopsy Report… Apparently, Professor Sourceton's heart stopped at some point in time after he was hit."

Autopsy Report updated in the Court Record.

Razor also took out a small plastic bag with a bloody piece of gadgetry in it from his jacket pocket and said, "Professor Sourceton… He had a pacemaker. It malfunctioned somehow before he was hit, but his heart didn't stop yet… I think this'll be a vital piece of evidence, so you guys can have it."

Sourceton's Pacemaker added to the Court Record.

(So Professor Sourceton had a pacemaker… And it malfunctioned _before_ he was hit? Odd…)

"Thanks, Detective!" I said. "By the way, have you found anything new about the book sis supposedly held?"

"Ah, sorry…" Razor said, and rubbed the back of his head. "Mr. Bladeston beat you to it. He came here only a couple of minutes earlier and asked for the book, as well as for a copy of the updated Autopsy Report. 'Course, I couldn't refuse unless I wanted a salary decrease, so… yeah. He's got the book. Strangely enough, he wasn't interested in the pacemaker at all, though."

(Aww, man… Bladeston's got more evidence against me… Psy-ai-ai:Sigh: Well, at least he didn't get the pacemaker.)

"So, what about the fake photo that Saltby presented?" I asked.

"Haha, here's a real shocker for ya," Razor said. "The photo… It ain't fake! We found the camera that Saltby used… It was pretty old: a 2016 model, but the photo's legit. It wasn't photoshopped or edited in any way."

"What?!" I said in shock. "B-But… It can't be real! The woman in the photo looks hideously distorted… Not like sis at all!"

"Hmm…" Eddy said, and rubbed his chin. "You know, Griff… Something about that photo looks kinda familiar. I just can't put my finger on it."

"Ah, well…" I said. "What else did you find, Detective?"

"We're done with Professor Sourceton's study," Razor said. "We've also finished investigating in Saltby's house. Actually, it's pretty much a wild goose chase right now. We didn't find anything that even remotely looks like it could be the real murder weapon: just a bunch of weird piratey stuff. But I gotta admit, that old man's got the complete set of _One Piece_ UMDs. He's a true fan. I'm kinda jealous, actually." He smirked again.

"Could we have permission to check Saltby's place, too, Detective?" I asked.

"Eh? What for? That place doesn't have anything relevant to this case—" Razor said, looking kinda confused. "… Uh, sure, I guess."

"Thanks!" I said, and made my way to Saltby's house. Eddy followed.

* * *

**April 15, 3:26 PM; Kurain Village; Saltby Residence**

(Holy Gold Roger…)

Neither Eddy nor I were prepared to see what the inside of Saltby's house looked like.

"Griff… Where are we?" Eddy said, wide-eyed.

"Looks like we're in the Grand Line!" I said, and rubbed my eyes.

Saltby's place was like a pirate's paradise! The living room was home to a bunch of different pirate-themed furniture, complete with a couple of treasure chests and potted palm trees. There was a bookcase with Jolly Roger flags all arranged on a shelf, as well as some fake parrots and old maps. On another shelf were pirate action figures and plushies. On the wall were a bunch of pirate movie posters kept in airtight plastic seals and containers. Stacked up in a corner were around 500 pirate-themed movies and UMDs. I saw a small hallway leading to what I presumed was the kitchen… er, well, the "galley". Even from the living room I could see that there were Straw Hat character magnets on Saltby's refrigerator! There were even some old rhum barrels and fake cannons in there!

"Talk about obsessive!" Eddy whistled as he walked around looking at the stuff. "Pirate stuff, everywhere! Man, if I stay in here too long, I might come out a pirate fan, myself!"

"Yeah, me too…" I said, looked away from the collections, and began searching. "But don't forget, we're looking for something that'll get Saltby to talk! Let's see… I wonder if there's anything in here that's even remotely related to Sourceton, the Feys, or Case RYG-33… Or is it just pirate fanboy stuff?"

I tried to seriously look for something that seemed out of place, but the collections kept getting to me. After roughly 3 minutes, Eddy and I gave up.

"Well, I got nothing," Eddy said. "They all look like random pirate stuff to me… Hmm… What was the most striking thing about RYG-33, anyway? Other than the fact that Professor Bail and 'Felix' Sourceton were involved in it, of course."

"The most striking thing, huh?" I said, thinking. "All I know is that it's the fourth case that sis handled for this year, and that the last member of the Fey Clan was killed during that case."

"… Hey…" Eddy suddenly said, "What if… the murderer for this case's avenging the death of that Fey Clan member who died during RYG-33?"

"That's possible…" I said, "But the Sourcetons were only witnesses for RYG-33. That's still not enough for a motive against Professor Sourceton!"

"Aww, man…" Eddy said, and sat on the floor. 'This is WAY too confusing— Wait… What's that?"

Eddy stood up and pointed to a somewhat-flat, rectangular object lying next to some Straw Hat plush dolls on a shelf. I checked it out, and found out that it was an old picture frame.

"Weird…" Eddy said as he took a closer look at the picture frame. "What's a photo like this doing in Saltby's house? It's a photo of two kids; one's a boy with messy dark brown hair, the other's a girl wearing this weird purple robe that kinda reminds me of ice cream… Hey… Hey Griff! Look at the thing hanging from the little girl's neck!" Eddy then shoved the picture into my hands.

"Huh?" I said. "Hey… HEY!!! It's a magatama! That little girl must've been a member of the Fey Clan! Looks like we've found something that'll make Saltby cooperate! Good job, Eddy!"

Old Photo added to the Court Record.

"Looks like that's all we're gonna get from here!" Eddy said. "So… Wanna try out our new pieces of evidence and finish off Saltby's EP's, Griff?"

"Yeah, I definitely need to bring Saltby's EP's down to zero so we can finally get the answers we're looking for," I said. "Okay, let's go!"

Again, Eddy and I ran to the express rail stop and got on the next ride back to the city.

………

I actually thought we could go straight to the Detention Center to finally make Saltby cough up the truth, but we got… a little sidetracked.

* * *

**April 15, 4:03 PM; Digi-Universe Computer and Gaming Supplies**

"Eddy… Right now?" I asked with a blank face. "Y-You have gotta be kidding me!"

"Aww, c'mon, Griff!" Eddy pleaded. "I've been waiting for this game for three months now! It's just that… I forgot that it was already out today! Please lemme buy it! I've got my WiiStation Porta-X with me right now, too… I swear it'll only take a sec. I even brought my savings for it!"

Okay… So Eddy and I had just gotten off the express rail and were on our way to the Detention Center… We were going along just fine until we passed by a computer and game shop, and Eddy suddenly stopped. Apparently, a new game for the WiiStation Porta-X, an advanced handheld with a holographic screen, was out, and Eddy had been waiting for that game for three months already… He pleaded and pleaded for me to let him buy it, and since I had no choice but to agree… I found myself getting dragged by a 10-year-old into buying a game in a small store.

(Why… Why me... :Sweatdrop:)

"This better be quick, Eddy!" I said as I crossed my arms over my chest upon entering the store.

"Yeah, yeah!" Eddy said, and went straight to the aisle for video games.

"Hmm… Nice place," I said to myself when I saw the inside of the store. It looked pretty much like any normal computer supplies store would, except that it was a lot dimmer inside. "Maybe I should pick up a game myself—" I stopped mid-sentence when I heard and smelled something kinda out-of-place. I sniffed the air for a while and listened closely. Something eerie was in that store…

"Is that… A SAXOPHONE?! And… What's that smell? COFFEE?!" I said, and looked around. No one was there except me and Eddy… The saxophone music kept playing—!

(Okay, I am seriously getting the creeps here! Darn creepy invisible saxophone and freaky coffee smell! Hurry up Eddy!!!)

"Okay, Griff!" Eddy grinned as he ran up to me with his game. "All we gotta do is pay for— Hey, Griff! What's up?"

"… This place isn't… _haunted_, is it?" I asked nervously.

"Huh?" Eddy said with his eyes closed in a confused way. "Whaddya mean? … Oh! You're talking about the saxophone music and the smell of coffee, right?"

"Uh-huh…" I mumbled. "Is it me, or shouldn't there be someone in here for that creepy music to be playing—?"

_ZZZZzzzz… ZZZzzz… ZZzz…_

"GAAAAAHH!!!" I suddenly yelled. "Okay, now I'm sure that there are ghosts in here! Let's get outta here, Eddy!!!"

"Aww, don't be such a scaredy-cat!" Eddy said, obviously irritated, and yanked me by the collar. "I think it's just snoring. It's coming from the counter over there!"

I tried to get out of the store, but Eddy wouldn't let me leave until his game was paid for. He dragged me again, and I was forced to stand by the counter where the creepy sound was coming from.

(Please don't let there be a corpse in there, please don't let there be a corpse in there, please don't let there be a corpse in there!)

"Uh… Hello?" Eddy knocked on the glass counter. "I'm here to purchase a game—"

"_BWAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!_"

"AAAAAAAARRGGGHHH!!!!" Eddy and I yelled at the same time.

Something suddenly popped up from behind the counter!

"Who? What? Where?" a man with a newspaper over his head said. He emerged from behind the counter, and removed the newspaper…

(Whew… It's not a ghost! Hehehe… Looks like me and Eddy got worked up over nothing—)

"Holy crap, it's Anakin Skywalker!!!" Eddy yelled at the man.

(Ooh… Awkward…)

Somehow… I had to agree with Eddy on that outburst. The man had the long, messy brown hair and the scar, though the scar ran horizontally across his face and passed through the bridge of his nose and he also had a partial goatee. The black hooded jacked he was wearing also looked like a robe, so I couldn't blame Eddy for mistaking the man for a Jedi. Then again, I dunno how exactly Eddy thought that the coffee thermos he was holding looked like a lightsaber…

"Uh… Oops?" Eddy said, grinning sheepishly.

"… Meh, it's okay," the man said with a yawn. He turned to the shelf behind him and turned off an MPZ Player. (So THAT'S where the saxophone music came from!) "I get that a lot. So… Welcome to Digi-Universe Computer and Gaming Supplies! My name's Phil. How can I help you?"

"I'm here to buy this game!" Eddy said and put the game down on the counter along with some cash.

"Ah… _L_eo_nidas vs. Xerxes VIII_…" Phil said as he scanned the game. "Nice choice there, kid. What's your name?"

"My name's Eddy Skye!" Eddy said. "And this guy's Griff! He's a defense attorney."

"A… A d-d-defense attorney, huh?" Phil said, looking a little nervous for some reason. He then settled down and started drinking from his thermos. "Heh. I didn't know they let 12-year-olds take Bar Exams these days…"

(WHO ARE YOU CALLING A TWELVE-YEAR OLD?!)

"Anyway…" Phil said, and handed Eddy his game. "Here's your game."

"Hehe! Thanks!" Eddy said, and paid for the game. "Sorry about the Anakin Skywalker thing, Phil!"

"Like I said, don't worry about it," Phil brushed off and drank from his thermos. "So you like virtual reality games, huh, kid?"

"Yeah!" Eddy smiled. "To be specific, Spartan Games! … But I like simulation games, too! In fact, I always carry my WiiStation Porta-X in my backpack with me!"

(He carries his handheld along with his Scientific Investigation Equipment?)

"Hehe, well here's something you might like, then," Phil said with a grin, and brought out a small game case. "This here's a simulation game I've been working on as a project. It's still a prototype, but it's already good enough to play. I should know: I'm the genius who created it… I'll, uh, give it to ya for only twenty bucks if you want it."

"Cool!" Eddy said, taking the game with glee. "Thanks, Phil!"

"Uh-huh," Phil nodded and took another gulp of coffee from his thermos. "I'm a genius, anyway."

(Gee, someone's pretty humble…)

"You're a genius?" Eddy asked. "Cool! Man, I wish I could make games, too!"

(I thought you were more interested in Scientific Investigation?)

"Hmph. Well, if you wanna try making your own sim games, well…" Phil continued, "Take this." He handed a weird projector-like machine to Eddy.

"Uh… What is it?" Eddy asked, confused.

"It's a holographic generator," Phil replied. "You, uh, can design any sim you want with it."

"Whoa! Too cool!" Eddy said, and took the holographic generator. "Why are you giving me this cool stuff, though?"

"Eh, n-no reason," Phil said, and looked away. "Geniuses are just generous, you know."

(All right… Can we get this over with now? I've still got some EP's to bring down to zero, you know!)

Finally… Eddy finished paying for his games and the holographic projector. The first game he bought fit into his backpack perfectly, but unfortunately, he didn't have any more space left for the second game or the holographic projector that Phil gave him, so…

Prototype Sim Game added to the Court Record…?

Holographic Generator added to the Court Record…?

"I can't believe you talked me into putting this junk in the Court Record!" I said.

"Aww, c'mon!" Eddy said. "I ran outta space! Besides, I'll take them out later, okay?"

(You better… If I end up bluffing in court tomorrow and accidentally present the game, I'm so dead. :Gulp:)

We were ready to head for the Detention Center. Phil took a large gulp from his thermos, slumped back onto his chair behind the counter, and fell asleep almost instantly. (Gee, for someone who drinks coffee, he sure knows how to fall asleep…) Anyway… I opened the door, but before Eddy and I exited, something caught my eye… Located on a small shelf just behind the snoring Phil was a glass container. Inside it was, it kinda looked like, a _green stone_… Half of it, to be exact…

(It can't be… Is it? No way. That's not right, is it? No way!)

"Hey Griff, come on!" Eddy said. "We better get back to the Detention Center!"

"Yeah, okay!" I said, and looked away. (I swear that's it… That's the missing half of the magatama—!)

* * *

**April 15, 4:20 PM; Detention Center, Visitor's Room**

(Looks like Saltby's in questioning… Okay! Now's my chance to talk to sis!)

I was relieved to see Midori again after that traumatic day in court. She looked tired as well; I assumed it musta been from all the interrogations she'd been through all day. I was only a few steps away from saving sis… All I needed to do was get Saltby to tell the truth… Once I was able to solve the mystery, I could get Midori out of that darn detention cell…

"Griffin…" she said, "Sorry I wasn't able to show up in court today…"

"Nah, it's okay, sis," I said, "At least you're still safe from getting a guilty verdict. Saltby's been arrested, too."

"Really?" Midori asked. "So the old man who supposedly saw me… He's been labeled as a suspect?"

"Yep!" I said. "Actually, I've been trying to get him to say something myself. I just need to finish off his last EP's… You know, from the Wahrheitron T-3 you gave me?"

"Is that right?" Midori said, "So… how is my present?"

"It's awesome, sis!" I said. "Even though you weren't with me in court, the Wahrheitron sure saved my butt!"

"Well, good luck, Griffin!" Midori said, finally smiling. "You can solve this case, I know you can!"

"S-Sis!" I sniffled. "Thanks—!"

"HIYA, MS. MIDORI!!!" Eddy suddenly exclaimed, blushing. "Remember me?"

"Oh, um…" Midori mumbled.

(Thanks for ruining the emotional brother-sister moment Eddy!)

"Ehehehe…" Eddy said, blushing. "My name's Eddy Skye! I came here with Detective Razor when you told us about the Wahrheitron, remember?"

"Oh! Right!" Midori said. "Thank you for delivering my present to Griffin, Eddy!"

"Aww, don't mention it!" Eddy said, twiddling his fingers.

"Anyway, I need to ask you about something, sis." I said. I presented the RYG-33 Case File. "Please tell me about this case. I really think it's related to this one!" Sis looked kinda hesitant at first. She didn't look at the file completely, and kept glancing away from it. That didn't feel right. After a minute or two, sis finally decided to tell me about what happened during RYG-33.

"Case RYG-33…" Midori started, "You may already know this… It's a murder case. To be specific, it was the murder of the last remaining member of the Fey Clan, 22-year-old Edna Fey." She paused for a while, and went on. "Edna Fey was a member of the Fey Branch Family: the same branch where Pearl Fey, the one who mysteriously disappeared, came from. From what I've gathered, Edna Fey didn't really want to assume the role of a spirit medium, and wanted to live a normal life. The Clan Elders, however, were against this, and forced her to grow up as a spirit medium against her will. Eventually, the Clan Elders themselves died, and Edna ended up the last member of the Fey Clan."

"So… Why was she murdered?" I asked.

"It had something to do with the Kurain Village Hierarchy," Midori continued. "As you already know, Kurain is a village led by women. Men have either little or no social standing at all, and have to do their businesses outside the village, away from their families. Men were pretty much regarded as outcasts when the Feys were still in charge. That may explain why that old man you talked about… Saltby, was it? That may be why he hates women so much."

"So… Edna Fey's murder was carried out by a man who hated the Feys?" I asked.

"Yes," Midori said. "Blaine Brock, the guilty party, had a lot of rough times in Kurain. He loathed the Feys, and killed the last remaining member out of his anger for them." She paused again. "But even with that, it still hasn't been found out why Brock hated the Feys so much. It's been assumed that it was because of the men's extremely poor social standing in the village."

"But Ms. Midori…" Eddy cut in, trying to keep a straight face, "What do the Sourcetons have to do with this? And who exactly is 'Felix' Sourceton?"

"Felix Sourceton, well…" Midori continued, "He's… Um, he's… Well… Felix Sourceton is… Professor Bail Sourceton's son."

(NO WAI!!!)

"W-What?!" Eddy suddenly said. "Professor Sourceton… has a son?!"

"How old is this Felix Sourceton, anyway?" I asked as well.

"Ah, don't be too surprised," Midori said. "Felix is only 23 years old. I think he's turning 24 this November, too… Anyway, he was a witness for RYG-33, but he was also Edna Fey's best friend." She paused again. "Felix was really shocked at what happened. When I tried to talk to him back then, he really didn't want to say anything. Even when he was asked to testify in court, he couldn't. He and Edna were childhood friends, so I could understand why he felt so miserable…"

(I feel kinda sorry for that Felix… He lost his childhood friend and witnessed how she was killed…)

"What happened to Felix Sourceton after RYG-33 wrapped up, sis?" I asked.

"He left Kurain," Midori answered. "Shortly after the last day of the trial ended, Professor Sourceton received a note from Felix, saying that he was going to live on his own. Apparently, Felix now lives in this very city, and has his own business. I'm not sure about that yet, though… So, how did you come up with the idea that the events of RYG-33 tie up with this case?"

"Because… It's just weird," I said. "Professor Bail Sourceton and his son Felix were both witnesses to the murder of Edna Fey. Not only that, but Professor Sourceton did research on the Feys and lived in Kurain. I think it forms a pattern. I dunno, but I think the real murderer's motive may have something to do with avenging the extinction of the Fey Clan."

"Hey, that's what _I_ said!" Eddy pouted.

"Oh, right. Sorry, Eddy!" I said. "A-Anyway! It's still a valid motive, right?"

"You think that the real murderer wanted to avenge the Feys?" Midori said. "I… I'm not sure I understand. The Sourcetons were only witnesses… And, why would the real murderer frame _me_ as well?"

(Oh… I forgot about that… :Urk:)

"Uh… well…" I said, "Maybe that's what Saltby's hiding! He can't be the real murderer, but I'm sure he knows something! And I'm gonna make him tell the truth no matter what it takes! Don't worry, sis! I promised you a 'Not Guilty', and I'm gonna get you one!"

"T-Thank you, Griffin," Midori smiled.

"I'm just paying you back for all the help you've given me," I smiled back. "Starting from what happened… 8 years ago."

"We just did what we could," Midori said.

"Yeah…" I said, "I wish I could repay _him_, too, sis…"

"Trust me," Midori said with a smile and a small wink. "You already did."

The P.A. suddenly announced that Saltby was back in his cell.

"Well, looks like you should go interrogate Saltby now…" Midori said. The security guard came in and signaled that it was time for Midori to return to her cell and she left.

"Okay, what just happened with you guys?" Eddy asked. "What was that _'8 years ago'_ thing?"

"Uh, emotional brother-sister moment, Eddy," I replied.

"Oh, okay," Eddy said. "Gee, you and Ms. Midori sure are close, huh?"

"Yeah, well…" I brushed off. "We weren't always."

"Huh?" Eddy said.

Just as Eddy was about to ask another question, Saltby entered the Visitor's Room, angry-looking as always. He sat down and gave Eddy and me the stink-eye again, but I wasn't intimidated… yet.

"Yahahahargh!" Saltby laughed, "So ya came back… Still tryin' ta prove that I'm a-hidin' somethin', eh, flamehead?"

"You're hiding something, alright!" I said. "No matter how many times you try to hide it with your facial expressions and such, I'll find out!"

"YOHOHOHOHO!!!" Saltby cackled. "YAR, THAT'S A GOOD ONE!!! LET'S SEE HOW THE LANDLUBBER'LL FARE THIS TIME!!!"

(Okay… Showdown.)

**WAHRHEITRON INTERROGATION PHASE**

Saltby still had 25 EP's left, while I had 30. Saltby had his taunting face on, but I had to stay focused. If I presented the right evidence, I had him.

"Argh!" Saltby said, "Ya said earlier that I know what really happened regardin' Old Sourcey's ship-sinkin'! Well, let's see yer proof now!"

(This is it… Even if my special ability's not working, I HAVE to form a pattern in my head…)

TAKE THAT!

"Mr. Saltby… I believe this is the proof you're looking for?" I said, presenting the old photo Eddy found in Saltby's house.

"Y-YA-YAHARGH!!!" Saltby yelled. "W-WHA… WHERE'D YA GET THAT?!"

"From your house!" I said. "This photo is the evidence that shows that you know all about the RYG-33 Case, the Feys, and the real murderer of this case!"

"Grr…" Saltby muttered, sweating. "Yar! Ya… Ya gotta do better than that! Where's yer reason, then? Can ya explain why this here photo shows that I know about what really happened, eh, scallywag?!" … To my surprise, I lost _another_ 20 EP's!

(WHAT?! No… No! I've only got 10 EP's left… There's gotta be a reason _**why**_ this photo shows that Saltby's hiding something!)

"Hehehe!!!" Saltby taunted again. "Give up yet?"

"N-NO!" I said. "I… I've got a reason, all right! This photo is relevant because… Because…"

(Come on, Griffin! Think back to everything that happened today! Remember what sis told you!!!)

"You can do it, Griff!" Eddy cheered. "You've got the answer!!!"

(Think… Think… THINK!!!)

…………

"I'VE GOT IT!!!" I said, and turned to Saltby. "This photo shows just how much you know, Mr. Saltby! And that's because… _One of the people in this photo was a witness to the RYG-33 Case: FELIX SOURCETON!!!_ Since you're a friend of Professor Bail Sourceton, I'd find it hard to believe that you wouldn't know about his son, Felix! And since you knew about him, you knew that Felix was the best friend of Edna Fey, the victim of RYG-33, too! **The kids in this photo… are none other than Felix Sourceton and Edna Fey themselves!**"

"N-NOOO!!!" Saltby yelled as the last of his EP's dwindled down to zero. "G-G-Grr…"

(Yes! I did it!)

"All right!" Eddy said, and bounced up in the air. "You did it, Griff!"

**END WAHRHEITRON INTERROGATION PHASE**

"So, Mr. Saltby…" I said. "Ready to tell the truth?"

"Yargh…" Saltby muttered, and hung his head low, "Ya got me. I… I was there, yar. I was in Old Sourcey's house when he was killed."

"Why were you there, Mr. Saltby?" I asked.

"Argh, 'tis a silly reason," Saltby chewed on his cigarette and blushed, "I… I… I went there ta return a measurin' cup, actually."

(A… A measuring cup? Now why on earth would you lie about something as simple as returning a measuring cup:Sweatdrop:)

"Anyway…" Saltby continued, "I knocked on the door, but it wouldn't open, yargh. So I went through the back door and returned the measurin' cup. I was on me way out when I saw someone else in Old Sourcey's house… Yar, it was Felix. He was a-waitin' outside the study."

"Felix?" I asked. "What was Felix doing in Professor Sourceton's house?"

"I dunno," Saltby said. "He had a weird machine with him, argh. I tried ta talk ta the lad, but he stayed quiet. I was ready ta leave, but me bladder suddenly acted on me, yargh! So… I, er… I went and took a leak in Old Sourcey's bathroom, yar. After 'bout ten minutes, I came out. That was when I saw Old Sourcey on the floor of his study, and I took the moment ta snap up a shot of what I saw, yargh! I swear I saw her! An orange-haired woman, yar!"

"Wait," Eddy suddenly cut in. "You… YOU WERE IN THE BATHROOM WHEN PROFESSOR SOURCETON WAS KILLED?!"

"YARGH!!!" Saltby yelled again. "WHAT A?! THERE AIN'T NOTHIN' WRONG WITH ANSWERIN' THE CALL OF NATURE—!!!"

"Naw, it's not that!" Eddy replied. "It's just that… If you were in the bathroom all along… Then why did you lie about what you witnessed in your testimony?"

"Yeah, I second what Eddy said," I said with my arms crossed over my chest.

"Yahargh!" Saltby said. "It… It was me pride, okay? Whaddya expect me ta do? Testify about how I was emptyin' me bladder at the time that Old Sourcey was murdered, argh? No way!"

(Come to think of it… I'm glad that he didn't testify about THAT. :Shudder:)

"So… You only saw the 'orange-haired woman'?" I asked.

"Yar, I was really tellin' the truth about that," Saltby said.

"But, Mr. Saltby…" I said, "You do know that the woman in the photo you took looks horribly fake, right?"

"F-Fake?" Saltby snapped. "Yargh, that photo's legit, I'mma tellin' ya!!!"

"N-No, I'm not saying that it's fake!" I said. "It's just that… the woman in your photo looks almost nothing like Midori. 'Course, that's probably because the picture's in black and white, but there's also the woman's clothes." I presented the photo. "The woman in this photo's obviously wearing a different suit. That, and look at her facial features. They look kinda blocky, don't ya think? … And that makes me wonder… _How can you NOT notice this, Mr. Saltby?_"

"Graargh…" Saltby moaned. "Must ya keep eatin' away at me pride, boy? … All right… Me eyesight… I lied about how clear I see things, too. Truth is, I'mma losin' the old, good vision that I had in me younger years! I di'n't wanna say anythin' 'bout that! I honestly di'n't see that woman all too clearly… All I remember, yargh, was the orange hair!"

(And thus we've revealed what Saltby really saw…)

"So all you really saw was the orange-haired woman," I said. "What did you do after you took the picture?"

"I went back to me house ta print the photo," Saltby said. "It took me five minutes. That's prolly around the same time you and that kid got there, yargh."

(Probably the same time that sis stumbled upon the scene, too, I guess.)

"Hmm…" I said, "You mentioned coming across Felix. If he was there… Then doesn't that make him a witness, too? Or possibly a suspect?"

"Yehergh… Well…" Saltby mumbled with his head hung low. "I really dunno… I was in the bathroom!"

"But if you only saw the woman…" Eddy said, "Then that means that Felix left at some point!"

"Argh, I really dunno!" Saltby said. "H-Hey… Maybe ya can ask Felix himself, then!"

"What?" I said. "Talk to Felix himself? How do you expect us to do that?"

"Argh… I dunno!" Saltby said. "Listen, that scary glasses boy with the scar already asked me the same questions, and I'm a-feelin' kinda tired already, yar. If ya want, I'll jes' give ya the address ta where Felix works, and ya can ask him! 'Sides, I need ta keep this info for tomorrow, yar!"

("Scary Glasses Boy with the Scar"… Bladeston!)

"So Bladeston already came here and interrogated you, Mr. Saltby?" I asked.

"Yar, that's right," Saltby admitted. "He even asked 'bout Felix, so… Yeah…"

(Oh no… Once again, Bladeston's a step ahead of me! This is most definitely not good!)

I had no choice but to ask Saltby for the address… He took a piece of paper out and started writing on it with a pencil, and gave the note to me.

Saltby's Note added to the Court Record.

Eddy and I had to leave and look for Felix… He was the last element needed to solve this case.

* * *

**April 15, 5:43 PM; Digi-Universe Computer and Gaming Supplies**

(I knew it!)

Saltby's note led us to Digi-Universe Computer and Gaming Supplies, the store where Eddy bought his games. That was also the place where I saw what I thought was the missing half of the magatama we had in the Court Record. That only meant one thing: the employee we met earlier, Phil, was actually none other than Felix Sourceton himself!

Saltby's Note discarded.

We entered the store again, and found no one there. Bladeston must've already come and gone… I heard the familiar snoring, and headed towards the counter.

_ZZZZzzzz… ZZZzzz… ZZzz…_

"So Phil was Felix all along…" Eddy said. "Man, who knew my need to buy a Spartan Game would lead us to the victim's son?"

"I certainly didn't!" I said. "Guess we need to wake him up…"

"_WAKE WHO UP?_"

"AAAAAAAAARRRGGGGHHH!!!!" Eddy and I yelled at the same time again.

It was Phil… And he was right behind us!

"What's up?" He said with another yawn-coffee-chug combo. "You guys are… Alphy and Frigg, right? Any reason why you guys came back?"

("Alphy and Frigg"? What the…)

"Uh, well…" Eddy stuttered.

"You, uh… You didn't talk to a creepy man with green glasses and a long scar just a few moments ago, did you?" I asked.

"Oh, you mean before I fell asleep?" Phil asked. "Well… Yeah, I met a guy like that. He asked me about something I totally have no idea happened. You know… a rumor that somebody got murdered in Kurain Village or something like that? … Meh, I don't really like to get into the details. That guy didn't even buy a game! Pssh. Wasting a genius's time like that…" He drank from his thermos again.

(You're saying that the murder in Kurain's only a rumor, huh?)

"Phil, what's your real name?" I asked. "You know that man you spoke to a while ago? He's a prosecuting attorney, and I'm, uh, going against him in a trial tomorrow. Yeah, I'm actually investigating this murder case right now, and I just need to ask… What's your real name, Phil?

"Huh?" Phil replied with a look of confusion. He drank from his thermos. "Whaddya mean?"

"What's your real name?" I asked again.

"My name… It's… Uh…" Phil said, sweating a little. "My real name is… Phi… Phil… Feel… Felix. My real name is Felix."

"Okay…" I said, feeling a little bit more confident, "And your last name… It wouldn't be, by any chance… _'Sourceton'_, would it?"

"!!! … I… Uh… Gah!" Felix said, taken aback. "H-How… How did you know?"

"Your father's name…" I continued, "It's Bail Sourceton, right?"

"Griff!" Eddy said. "I don't think you should push this any further… Ehehe! Uh, Phil, you can just ignore Griff right now—"

"Eddy, no! I have to keep asking him!" I said, and turned to Felix again. "You're Professor Bail Sourceton's son, right?"

"O-Okay…" Felix said. "W-What's going on here?"

I told Felix the details of the murder, like how Professor Sourceton died, how sis was framed, the fake murder weapon, the bulletproof glass window, the picture of the distorted woman posing as Midori, and the possible motive… He acted shocked, like he knew nothing of it, but I knew that he did… He was, after all, at the scene of the crime on the day that Professor Sourceton was murdered.

"The Big Prof… Murdered?" Felix said. "No way…"

("The Big Prof"? Funny… Why won't he just call Professor Sourceton, "Dad"?)

"Yeah, it's kinda hard to believe…" I said, "But… Weren't you at his house on that day, Felix?"

"Y-Yeah…" Felix said, looking down. "I was only there for a short while, though… I left after around ten minutes."

"So… Uh, what's your relation to the Feys?" I asked. "Your dad, Professor Sourceton, did research on the Fey Clan, so you probably know about them…"

"E-Excuse me? F-Feys?" Felix said. "I… I don't know any Feys…"

TAKE THAT!

"So what about Edna Fey?" I asked, and presented the photo of Felix and Edna when they were kids, as well as the RYG-33 Case File. "Weren't you best friends with Edna Fey, who was the last member of the Fey Clan, as well as the victim of the RYG-33 Case, wherein you were also a witness?" Felix wasn't moving. He kept looking down at the floor, so I knew he was hiding something.

"… That's right," Felix said. "I was Edna's best friend since I was five. Yeah, you're right… She… She was killed, and I witnessed it."

"I'm sorry for your loss," I said, "But I really need you to answer some more questions for me. Could you tell me more about how much you know about the Fey Clan?"

"S-Sorry, but I can't!" Felix said, "What're all these stupid questions for, anyway?" Felix suddenly began to look angry.

"I told you!" I said. "I'm investigating a murder… Your own father's murder, no less! How come you're being so impassive about this?"

"Griff!" Eddy said. "I think you're going overboard here!!!"

"G-Grr…" Felix muttered. "I… I don't wanna talk about it, okay? Could you just… leave? Leave!"

(He's getting defensive… That could mean that… He…)

"Felix!" I said. "You were at your father's house on the day he was murdered! Someone even saw you! It was that old man, Azmond Saltby!"

"Grr…" Felix growled. "That sexist old man? What does he know, huh? He's a pirate-crazy freak! He probably just made that stuff up, you know?!"

"WHY were you at Professor Sourceton's house?" I continued.

"Griff, you're provoking him!" Eddy said. "Stop before this gets way outta hand!"

"I… I… ARGH!!!" Felix snapped. "I SAID I DON'T WANNA TALK ABOUT IT, OKAY? SHEESH! JUST GET OUT ALREADY!!!"

"W-What?!" I said. "You don't have to yell—"

"GET THE HELL OUT!!!" Felix roared. "I… I'VE HAD ENOUGH!"

"H-Hey!" Eddy said. "You can't kick us out just yet!"

"SHUT UP!!!" Felix yelled. "YOU… YOU'VE ASKED ME YOUR QUESTIONS, AND I'VE TOLD YOU ENOUGH! NOW GET OUT!!!"

(True colors revealed…)

"No!" I said. "I'm not leaving until you give me some answers!!!"

"ANSWERS?!" Felix yelled. "I'LL GIVE YOU SOME ANSWERS!"

Felix opened a door behind the counter, went in, and slammed it shut. He was gone for a while, so I had the chance to look at the green stone in the container… I was right! It really was half of the magatama we found!

"H-Hey!" Eddy said, looking at the green stone a little closer, "It really is the missing half of the magatama!"

"Yeah!" I said, and tried to take a closer look at it, too, "But I wonder why Felix would have this… Any ideas, Eddy? Eddy?"

Eddy wasn't responding.

"Hey, Eddy!" I said. "Say something—"

_**AAAAAAAAAAAARRRGGGHHH!!!**_

(Eddy?! What the…)

I turned around and had the shock of my life…

"PUT THE STONE DOWN!!!" Felix roared. He had seized Eddy with his arm and was choking him… He also had a magnum to Eddy's head!

"GRIFF!!! HEEEEELP!!!" Eddy yelled, trying to break free of Felix's grip.

"E-EDDY!!!" I yelled, frozen in shock at the spot where I was standing. "LET HIM GO!!!"

"PUT THE DAMN STONE DOWN!!!" Felix yelled. "DO IT OR I'LL… I'LL KILL THIS KID!!!"

"O-OKAY, OKAY! I'LL PUT IT DOWN!" I hesitated, and set the magatama half back on the shelf. "L-Let Eddy go!"

"_**HELP!!!**_" Eddy yelled.

"SHUT UP!!!" Felix growled at Eddy, and tightened his hold on the magnum. He also positioned his index finger on the trigger! "_**NOT A WORD, OR I'LL BLAST YOU!!!**_"

"G-Griff…" Eddy muttered, starting to cry. "H-Help… Help!!!"

"I TOLD YOU TO KEEP QUIET!" Felix growled again, and held the gun closer to Eddy's head. "Hehehe… I shoulda told you that geniuses have short patience, too! Well, looks like you had to learn the hard way, kid! So… Any last words, twerp?"

"N-No!" Eddy cried, "M-Mom… Ema… Griff… Help…"

(Eddy! Wha… What am I gonna do?!)

……………

……………

_**GRAAAAAAAAAARRRGGGHH!!!!**_

_**BANG!!!**_

Without thinking, I suddenly leapt at Felix and hit him on the head with his own gun! It fired and hit a small part of my right hand between my index and middle finger… My hand was bleeding like crazy and it hurt a lot, but at least I was able to save Eddy! After I hit Felix, I ran out of the store as fast as I could with Eddy on my shoulders. I thought that Felix'd give chase, so I kept running…

I stopped when I got to the only place I thought would be safe enough: the office…

* * *

**April 15, 6:25 PM; Turner and Co. Law Offices**

(I… I made it…)

I was exhausted… I found out who the real murderer was, but because I wouldn't stop nagging him about Professor Sourceton's murder… I almost got Eddy killed. I felt really guilty… Even my injured hand seemed to imply my guilt. I got a piece of cloth and made a rough bandage for it, then put Eddy down on the sofa and asked him is he was okay. He nodded, but I could tell that he was still shaken from what just happened to him. I just had to apologize…

"Eddy…" I said, "I'm sorry… If I hadn't gone overboard with all those questions… Felix wouldn't have pulled a gun on you!"

"I-I-It's okay!" Eddy muttered, tearing up a little. "R-Really… It wasn't your fault!"

"Yes it was!" I said. "I… I must've been so hyped up about finding out who the real murderer is that I ended up putting you in danger! I'm really sorry!"

Eddy cried. I couldn't help but tear up a little as well. It was the first time we had ourselves put into such a dangerous situation.

"How…" I said, "How can I save Midori, when I could barely save you from Felix? What… What the hell kind of defense attorney am I?!"

"G-Griff!" Eddy said, and stopped crying. "Y-You can't cry now, you know! We both can't!"

"W-What?" I asked.

"T-There was one thing that my mom always told me…" Eddy said, "And that was, _'The only time you can cry is when it's all over!'_. B-But… It's not over yet, Griff! You… You can still get Ms. Midori full acquittal! You can still make Felix confess! You can do it, Griff! J-Just like when you made that awesome objection during the trial, or when you finished off Saltby's EP's and made him cough up the truth! You can't give up yet!"

"But!" I said.

"Hehe… Don't worry about me. I can get over it, really!" Eddy said, his normal smile returning. He started limping towards the door. "You know… I believe you can still solve this case. You can still win. Win the trial tomorrow, Griff! Do it for Ms. Midori… I know you can do it! I wouldn't expect less from the person who saved me from sudden death." He paused, as he was about to exit. "Well, I'm going back to the precinct now…"

"What?!" I said, and tried to stop him. "You can't go back all alone after what just happened! What if Felix—"

"Stop worrying!" Eddy said. "T-That's all over now… I owe you one for saving me, but you can't get sidetracked now! You gotta win, okay? When you win tomorrow, we won't work on cases together anymore. But thanks for this one. It was a blast! Even though I was mostly kinda annoying, you tolerated me and continued even with a little kid like me dragging you down! Thanks, Griff. You were like the big brother I never had…"

Eddy left the office. I was left staring at the door with the words he just said ringing in my ears:

_"You were like the big brother I never had…"_

(Big brother, huh? … I can't let him down. I can't let sis down. I have to win this case; I made a promise!)

It was then that I decided it was time for another thorough and extensive period of evidence examination. I washed my bloody hand and bandaged it properly, then sat down on the sofa, opened up the Court Record, and began examining the new pieces of evidence we had obtained during the day's investigation.

(Eddy… Midori… I won't let you guys down!)

COURT RECORD:

AUTOPSY REPORT

- Professor Sourceton's Autopsy Report. Death was caused by blood loss due to blunt trauma; Heart stopped sometime after blow.

SOURCETON'S PACEMAKER

- Professor Sourceton's pacemaker. Malfunctioned before his death.

I had to check these rather closely. With the new information of Professor Sourceton's heart stopping because of his pacemaker's malfunction, I needed to find an explanation. Sourceton's pacemaker suddenly malfunctioned before he was hit. For that to happen, there should've been either a disruption in frequency, or an internal failure. I zoomed in on the bloody pacemaker. It seemed intact; it didn't look like there was anything wrong with it before it broke. That crossed out the possibility of internal failure.

That meant that the pacemaker broke because of frequency disruption!

(But… How?)

I couldn't think of an explanation for a frequency disruption yet. I had to move on to the other pieces of evidence.

OLD PHOTO

- An old photo of Felix Sourceton and Edna Fey when they were kids.

(Hmm… Dunno if I need to check this, but just to be safe…)

I took a closer look at the photo. I paid attention to all the details, even the minor ones. Apparently, Felix didn't have the scar when he was still a kid. His hair was still pretty long and messy, yeah, but there was no scar. I took note of that, and shifted my attention to Edna. Edna Fey was a pretty girl who wore her brown hair in a funny-looking bun. She wore a weird purple robe, which I assumed was the traditional spirit medium outfit. I looked at the magatama she was wearing. Strangely enough, it wasn't the same magatama that I had in the Court Record, unlike what I expected. The photo was old, but I could see that the magatama was orange, not green. I took note of that as well.

(Weird… If the magatama halves that Felix and I have aren't Edna's… Then whose are they?)

… That was all the evidence I could check. There were two more items in the Court Record, but they weren't evidence at all. It was the Prototype Sim Game and Holographic Generator that Felix gave Eddy. I kinda thought it was weird. Why did Felix just give Eddy a video game and a large technical machine? The items didn't look important, but I decided to check them out, anyway.

PROTOTYPE SIM GAME

- A simulation game created by Felix Sourceton.

HOLOGRAPHIC GENERATOR

- A machine used for creating virtual reality simulation games.

I honestly had no idea how to check these. I didn't have a WiiStation Porta-X, and thus, couldn't check the sim game, and the holographic generator was too big for me to examine with Evidence Rotation… But I noticed something weird on the holographic generator. There was a slot on it, just big enough for the sim game chip. I gave inserting the game chip into the generator a shot, and… it worked!

The holographic screen popped up and I found a bunch of simulation characters arranged in a box based on when they were created and played. I scrolled down and saw something interesting. Dated April 14th, and placed in the second row was a female sim.

(No way… This holographic sim… She's…)

She had long orange hair and a green suit. There was no mistaking it. It was the woman in the photo Saltby took! It was a hologram all along!

Prototype Sim Game and Holographic Generator information updated.

I turned the generator off and removed the chip. I placed all the items back in the Court Record and headed for the door. I needed to tell sis what I had just find out… And I also needed to ask her some more about Felix Sourceton.

I left the office and went straight to the Detention Center.

* * *

**April 15, 7:10 PM; Detention Center, Visitor's Room**

Midori was a little surprised to see me again. Visiting Hours would be over in less than an hour, so I had to tell her everything I knew quickly.

"Griffin," Midori said, looking at my bandaged right hand. "Maybe you should start by telling me what happened to your hand?"

(Oh… The blood and the bandage… Right.)

I told sis about what Saltby saw when he was at Sourceton's house, about how Felix was actually the guy at the computer and game shop a few blocks away from the Detention Center, about how Bladeston had tried to interrogate Felix, and about how Felix… had almost shot Eddy because of me.

"You… You were shot?!" Midori gasped. "F-Felix… He shot at you?!"

"Actually, he tried to shoot Eddy," I said, "But I jumped on him and grabbed his gun. It, uh, fired when I did that and hit my hand."

"Eddy?" Midori said. "You mean… That little boy who was with you?"

I nodded. Sis asked me why Felix pulled a gun on us, and I admitted that I had gone overboard in asking him all those questions about his dad and the Fey Clan. That, and the fact that I tried to examine the green stone he had on the shelf in his store, which was definitely the other half of the magatama I had in the Court Record. Midori was kinda shocked. She said that Felix would never pull a gun on anyone, no matter what the situation was.

"He wouldn't?" I asked. "But… He just pulled a gun on Eddy and me when we were at the shop!"

"Which is completely baffling," Midori said, and thought for a while. "Felix wasn't always the most stable kind of person, but he always tries to stay cool and calm. Even when Edna Fey died, Felix tried to control his emotions even though he was obviously tortured by the entire situation. Felix wouldn't have a rage issue just like that unless it was something major." She paused. "In fact, Felix has this habit of acting all smug and saying that he's a genius…"

"Yeah, we ran into that side of Felix, alright," I said. "… Wait a minute. Sis, you just said that 'Felix wasn't always the most stable kind of person'… Sure, I noticed that Felix acted kinda weird and kept saying that he was a genius, not to mention the fact that he kept randomly falling asleep even after drinking coffee and he called Professor Sourceton, 'The Big Prof' rather than 'Dad', but… Whaddya mean by that?"

"I guess I have to tell you the truth about Felix, then…" Midori said with a small sigh. "Felix… is not Professor Bail Sourceton's biological son."

(Launching shock response in three, two, one…)

"H-HE'S NOT?!" I asked. "Then… whose son is he?! Tell me, sis! Tell me!"

"Oh, okay Griffin. I'll tell you," Midori said. "Alright. Felix Sourceton's real parents were both defense attorneys… I haven't really got much of a background on them, but there is one thing I know about Felix's real father, from what Professor Sourceton told me when I took the RYG-33 Case. One August day, 24 years ago, Felix's father was… well, he was… murdered."

"What?!" I said. "Felix's real dad was murdered?"

Sis nodded, and continued, "Felix's father was, apparently, going to meet up with someone under suspicion of murdering a former client of his in a case six months prior to the current date. He and the person met at the courthouse, and he tried to get the latter to confess. However, he had a misstep during the interrogation, and that false move worked to the other person's advantage."

"And that was when he was murdered, right?" I asked, and sis nodded again. "What was the cause of death?"

"From what Professor Sourceton told me, the cause of death was from poison slipped into his drink," Midori said. "The murderer then fled the scene, taking the poison with them so they couldn't be incriminated. It wasn't until after six months following the death of Felix's father that the culprit was caught."

(Ouch… That's a tough way to die. I hope nobody tries to poison MY drinks like that. :Gulp:)

"But wait!" I said, "If Felix's dad died in August, and Felix himself was born in November…"

"Felix wasn't born yet when his father died," Midori said. "However, his mother was extremely depressed by what happened, and gave Felix up for adoption as soon as he was born. That was when Professor Bail Sourceton entered the picture. He raised Felix as his own in Kurain Village, even though raising males was considered, er… somewhat-taboo back then."

"That's because of the Fey Clan, right?" I said. "Women ruled the village, and men had almost no social standing at all."

"That's why Felix wasn't always stable," Midori continued, and adjusted her glasses. "When I first asked Professor Sourceton about him, he told me that Felix had a hard time growing up in a village led primarily by females. There was one event, too, that was apparently one of the harshest ones that ever happened to Felix." She paused. "I have honestly no idea what it was, but the entire village turned against him then…"

"The entire village turned against him, huh?" I said.

"It's a little close to home, huh, Griffin?" Midori said. I nodded. She continued with a small smile, "Well, like your story, there was a bright side to what happened to Felix. For the first time, he was able to find _a friend_ who cheered him up despite the village's grudge against him."

"That was… Edna Fey!" I said.

"That's right," Midori nodded. "That was why Felix was extremely shaken up by Edna's death…"

(I actually feel kinda sorry for him now… Even if he did try to kill me and Eddy.)

"But…" I said, "That still doesn't make sense. If the reason why he pulled a magnum on us is because he kept all of his emotions, then why did he have a sudden rage outburst? Why now, I mean? Could that mean that something about Felix's past… is related to this case?"

"Hmm…" Midori thought for a while, and asked, "Well, what do you think, Griffin?"

"I dunno…" I answered. "But I do know one thing."

"Which is?" Midori asked.

"Felix murdered Professor Sourceton," I said.

"W-What?" Midori said, a little shocked. "Why would he do that? To his own foster-father, no less—"

"I honestly don't know," I said. "But Felix is the only one who could've done it."

"… You're sure about this?" Midori asked.

"Yeah, sis, I'm sure," I said. "Oh! And there's something else I found out! The woman in the photo that Saltby presented—"

Just as I was about to show sis the Prototype Sim Game and the Holographic Generator that revealed the identity of the woman in the photo, the P.A. sounded up again and announced that Visiting Hours were over. The security guard came in and escorted Midori back to her cell, and I left the Visitor's Room. As I exited the Detention Center, I kept wondering about Felix, the fate of his parents, and his motive.

(Grr… Why is it always so confusing?)

* * *

**April 15, 8:20 PM; Turner and Co. Law Offices**

I was already at the office, when I heard someone call me.

"So how're things going, Griff?"

I turned around and saw Detective Razor. Apparently, Eddy had told him about what happened… I asked him if Eddy was okay.

"Yeah, thanks to you, Griff," Razor said. "That was a mighty brave thing you did, hmm. Too bad you didn't leave unscathed."

"Oh, right…" I said, and looked at my right hand. "Hehe. At least it's not my Objection Hand that got hit!"

"Haha, sure," Razor smirked. "Listen… Are you and me thinkin' the same thing… Y'know, about who the real murderer is?"

(Ah! He thought so too!)

"You mean…" I said.

"I didn't think that Professor Sourceton's own son would do it," Razor said. "There's still a lotta room for doubt. I mean, he suddenly shows up on the day before the last day of the trial and says that he has no idea what happened to his dad. But the way he acted all defensive and even tried to kill Eddy… Well, that definitely says something, don't'cha think?"

"Yeah," I said. "But it was my fault that I provoked him in the first place!"

"Like I said, there's room for doubt," Razor said. "That's why I went to that store myself and asked him a few questions myself… Ah! Don't worry; I confiscated his gun before doing so. Anyway, he admitted that he was at the scene of the crime yesterday." He turned to leave. "I'll just leave it to you to push him into a corner and make him confess tomorrow, Griff."

"Y-You mean…" I said.

"That's right," Razor said as he exited. "Felix Sourceton's gonna testify tomorrow."

(Oh, crud… Thank goodness his gun was confiscated!)

"Go get 'em, Griff," Razor said, and left.

Again, I was left all alone staring at the door. I had no idea what would happen the next day. How much had Bladeston found out? Was Saltby actually gonna tell the truth about why he was at Professor Sourceton's house? Would Felix actually testify? Did I really have the ability to make him tell the truth, as well as get sis a Not Guilty verdict?

(Why, why, why must it always be so confusing?! C'mon, special ability! Come back to me!!!)


	5. Chemical Formula for Turnabout Day 3

Chapter Two, Part Four.

This chapter ends Case 2, and will also reveal why exactly Case 2 is called "The Chemical Formula for Turnabout". Again, there are some mentions of familiar characters here, and I don't own them; Capcom does. Please refer to the disclaimer.

As always, please read, comment, and criticize.

**

* * *

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**CHAPTER TWO: THE CHEMICAL FORMULA FOR TURNABOUT**

**Day Three: Trial**

**April 16, 9:53 AM; District Court, Defendant Lobby**

(This is it… This is my last chance!)

I arrived at the courthouse 15 minutes earlier than usual and went through all the evidence I had in the Court Record. That was the last day of Midori's trial, and I had to make sure that I got the Not Guilty verdict I promised sis. I reviewed everything I knew about the case: Professor Bail Sourceton was murdered on April 14th and died due to blood loss caused by blunt force trauma to the head; his heart stopped sometime after he was hit because his pacemaker malfunctioned, which was caused by a frequency disruption; the real murder weapon's still unknown; Professor Sourceton died while in a bowing position; and the real murderer had manipulated the crime scene.

I also reviewed the new information I had gotten from some witnesses: Azmond Saltby was at the scene of the crime on the day Professor Sourceton was murdered: specifically, to return a measuring cup and use his bathroom. He was in the bathroom almost the entire time, and came out only to see Professor Sourceton dead. That was also the time that he saw an orange-haired woman posing as Midori, and took a photo of the crime. He left to print the picture, but didn't notice Felix Sourceton, who he had run into earlier…

**Felix "Phil" Sourceton**

Age: 23

- Professor Bail Sourceton's adopted son. Runs a computer and gaming supplies store. Likes coffee.

Felix Sourceton… After what he did to Eddy and me the day before, I really didn't want to see him, let alone cross-examine him.

(Oh, boy… I can tell this is gonna be a long trial.)

"I see you're reviewing your case before the trial starts… Just like I taught you!"

I turned around, saw Midori standing behind me, and said, "Sis! They… They actually let you out of detention!"

"Only until the trial ends, Griffin," Midori smiled.

"Hehe, well…" I said, smirking, "Don't worry, then. After the trial, you're home free! You can count on that!"

"Thanks, Griffin," Midori said. "So… How's your hand?"

"Oh… Uh…" I said, showing sis my bandaged right hand, "It still hurts like crazy, but at least the bleeding's stopped."

"Good thing it ain't your Objection Hand, right?"

"Detective Razor!" I said when I saw him. "Is… Is Eddy okay? Is he with you right now?"

"He was, but I dunno where he is now," Razor said, looking around. "Well, anyway… If he doesn't show, it'll be okay with you even if you don't have a Co-Council Aide, today, right?"

"N-No Co-Council Aide?" I asked. "Uh… Well… If sis can't be my Co-Council today because of that new rule, and Eddy doesn't show up… Well, I, uh… I guess I could go through the trial on my own…"

"You're sure you can stand in court all by yourself, Griffin?" Midori asked.

"Y-Yeah…" I answered. (I hope. :Gulp:)

"Well, I hope you've got all yer evidence ready, Griff!" Razor said. "We should be getting in by now…"

"Uh, right!" I said, and took the Court Record with me into the courtroom.

"Good luck, Griffin!" Midori said as I went in, "Don't forget, there's no day but today!"

"Thanks, sis!" I said, and entered the courtroom. I kept thinking about what was gonna happen when Felix showed up… The memory of what he did the night before was still fresh in my mind…

(Eddy… I can understand why you don't wanna show up… But I promise I'll get Felix punished for what he did, buddy!)

* * *

**April 16, 9:58 AM, District Court, Courtroom #3**

BANG!

"Court is now in session for the trial of Ms. Midori Turner," the Judge said.

"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor," Bladeston said, adjusting his green glasses…

I wondered about those eyes of his. I was a heck of a lot calmer around Bladeston then, but… No matter how many times I tried to shrug it off, whenever I saw, or even heard the name "Bladeston", those scary eyes would suddenly pop up in my head, complete with the green glasses. Somehow, the eyes always appeared to be red and had spiral patterns on them, which would spin like a helicopter blade. Those eyes… were the stuff of nightmares.

"The defense is ready, Your Honor," I said anyway, trying not to think too much of the red eyes.

"Um, Mr. Turner…" the Judge said, "What's wrong with your right hand?"

(GAH! The bandage! Aww, man, why does the Judge pay so much attention to bandaged hands?)

"Er, I, uh, accidentally got it caught in the sink, Your Honor," I said. "I-It's nothing, really…"

"Oh, all right then!" the Judge said.

(Phew… Thank goodness he didn't question me any further!)

"Hmph. Mr. Griffin Turner…" I heard Bladeston say, "I see you've become much calmer now… Good. I hope you stay that way even when the Judge passes the Guilty verdict on your sister, Ms. Midori Turner."

"Oh, don't worry, Mr. Bladeston!" I said, "I won't be worried at all when the Judge hands down the Not Guilty verdict."

"… Very well," Bladeston shrugged. "Your Honor, if I may begin with my opening statement…"

"Er, yes… Please do," the Judge said.

"Ahem. Let us start with a brief recap, shall we?" Bladeston began, and brought out a bunch of papers. "During yesterday's trial, we have established that the stone rod currently in the Court Record is not the real murder weapon, but a mere decoy. That, and the fact that the said stone rod is not really a part of a sculpture, but a… what was it again, Mr. Turner?"

"A hidden penholder," I said. "Y'know, like a scabbard… Except it's for keeping pens or pencils."

"Right…" Bladeston said, and continued. "Conversely, this does not change the situation much…"

"What about the book that sis supposedly held, Mr. Bladeston?" I asked. "It's in your possession right now, isn't it?"

"Is that right?" the Judge said, "Do you really have the book with you right now, Mr. Bladeston?"

"Yes," Bladeston said, and presented the book. "Having looked into this thoroughly, I honestly see no relevance this book has to the case, other than the fact that it has the defendant's fingerprints all over it. It hasn't been used to break anything off, since the stone rod has been proven to be a completely detachable piece of the sculpture. Thus, this book may now be discarded, as far as I'm concerned… Here you go, Mr. Turner."

Heavy Book added to the Court Record.

(You call giving the book to ME, "discarding" it?! Hey! What gives?)

Well… Since the book was already in my possession anyway, I thought that I should check it with Evidence Rotation. I zoomed in, and saw that it really was covered in Midori's fingerprints. I checked the title of the book. As I suspected, it had something to do with Spirit Channeling and the Fey Clan. I flipped a few pages, and found an interesting page at the back. On it was a list of spiritualists, all members of the Fey Clan, starting with someone named "Ami" and ending with "Edna".

(Aha! Edna Fey's on this list! … But the RYG-33 Case's been wrapped up… I wonder why sis took this book?)

Heavy Book information updated.

"Moving on," Bladeston continued, "We also had Mr. Azmond Saltby testify about what he witnessed: the murder of Professor Bail Sourceton, viewed from his living room window… A testimony, which Mr. Turner has also 'debunked', so to say, claiming that Mr. Saltby had not witnessed the crime from his own home, rather, from the victim's own residence." He put the papers away. "Your Honor, I myself questioned Mr. Saltby about his location, and I have verified… He was, in fact, in Professor Sourceton's house at the time."

The people in the courtroom began muttering…

"So what Mr. Turner has said yesterday is true?" the Judge asked.

"Correct," Bladeston nodded. "However, the prosecution has decided to allow Mr. Saltby to testify once more, for good measure."

"Very well, then," the Judge said, "You may now call forth your witness."

"The prosecution would like to call Mr. Azmond Saltby to take the stand," Bladeston said.

(Okay… Saltby said he'd tell the truth this time… I better turn the Wahrheitron on, just in case.)

A few seconds later, Saltby was back at the witness stand. He was a lot quieter than he was the day before, and didn't crack a single pirate joke.

(Looks like Saltby's gonna be serious about testifying for once…)

"Please tell us what really happened on the day of the crime, Mr. Saltby," Bladeston said.

"Yargh, yessir," Saltby said.

**TESTIMONY BEGINS**

"Yahargh, I di'n't really see the crime take place from me living room window," Saltby began. "Actually, I… er, I was at Old Sourcey's place. I came there ta return… somethin'. But that don't mean that I di'n't see anythin' important, argh! I had ta use the bathroom, sure, and I was in there for ten minutes, but I really saw it! An orange-haired woman was a-standin' over Old Sourcey's dead body, yargh!"

"Hmm… You… Um, you… You were…" the Judge said, trying not to laugh, "You were in the bathroom all along?"

"YAHARGH!!!" Saltby yelled, "There ain't nothin' wrong with answering the call of nature!"

(That's the same thing he said yesterday…)

"Er, yes, my mistake," the Judge said. "So you were in the bathroom at the time of the murder…"

"Yehergh, that's right…" Saltby mumbled, "But when I came out, I really did see the orange-haired woman, argh! Lucky I always bring me camera with me, y'know, in case somethin' interesting happens?"

"I see…" the Judge said. "Alright then, the defense may now begin the cross-examination."

(Hmm… There's definitely something not right about Saltby's testimony… Something's _missing_.)

**CROSS-EXAMINATION**

"Yahargh, I di'n't really see the crime take place from me living room window."

HOLD IT!

"Then why did you keep insisting that you DID witness the murder from your own home?" I asked.

"Yar, I'mma 'bout ta explain, okay?!" Saltby said. "That was a mere prologue, argh!"

(Prologue… Riiiight.)

"Actually, I… er, I was at Old Sourcey's place. I came there ta return… somethin'."

HOLD IT!

"The thing that you had to return was measuring cup, right?" I said.

"Er… Well… Yeah," Saltby said, "I went ta Old Sourcey's place ta return a measurin' cup."

"A… A measuring cup?" the Judge asked.

"Yargh, that's right," Saltby said. "That's all I went there for, I swear!"

"Alright…" the Judge said, "Please continue."

"But that don't mean that I di'n't see anythin' important, argh!"

HOLD IT!

"What were the things you saw _before_ you had to use the bathroom?" I asked.

"Well…" Saltby said, thinking, "I saw Old Sourcey's couch… And a paintin' on the wall, and a potted plant, and… Ooh! I saw a ship-in-a-bottle on one o' Old Sourcey's bookshelves, yargh! T'was a 1524 Spanish Galleon, argh! She was a beauty, though lookin' kinda old…"

"Uh, no…" I said, sweatdropping, "I meant the _other_ things that you saw—"

OBJECTION!

"Whatever the witness saw that isn't the crime itself is not relevant," Bladeston said. "Witness! Continue! There is absolutely no need to go off-topic here."

(Like what I was saying was gonna be "off-topic" in the first place!)

"I had ta use the bathroom, sure, and I was in there for ten minutes, but I really saw it! An orange-haired woman was a-standin' over Old Sourcey's dead body, yargh!"

HOLD IT!

"You're talking about this photo you took, right?" I asked, presenting the photo. "The 'orange-haired' woman is the one in this photo, right?"

"Yahargh, that's what I saw," Saltby said.

"B-But, didn't Mr. Turner prove yesterday that the woman in that photo is NOT Ms. Midori Turner?" the Judge asked.

"That is correct, Your Honor," Bladeston said, "However, the investigation yesterday has proven that this photo is legitimate. It wasn't tampered with in any way."

"Then, who is this woman?" the Judge asked. "M-Mr. Saltby?"

"Yargh! I dunno!" Saltby said. "I just took the picture and ran back ta me house ta print it, argh!"

"Either way, the witness has told the truth," Bladeston shrugged. "He really did see an orange-haired woman."

OBJECTION!

"Actually, the witness is wrong!" I said, pointing my finger. "He _didn't_ see an orange-haired woman."

"W-WHAT?!" Saltby said, "YAHARGH!!! Me eyesight ain't as good as it was when I was a lad, but that don't mean I'mma hallucinatin' argh!!!"

"What are you trying to say, Mr. Turner?" the Judge asked.

"I'm saying that…" I said, "Mr. Saltby DID NOT see an orange-haired woman, regardless of whether it was Midori or not!!!"

"Y-Y-YARGH!!!" Saltby yelled. "Are ya nuts, landlubber?! It's in the photo!"

I shook my head and answered, "True, there's obviously a woman in that photo, but that doesn't mean that you REALLY saw her."

The crowd got noisy. I could hear some people saying that I was babbling nonsense, but I knew that Saltby didn't really see an orange-haired woman… Well, at least, not a real one.

"… Intriguing," Bladeston said. "If this is what you really believe, that the witness did not see a woman, then please…" He pointed at me, "Show us your proof!"

(You want proof? Well, here goes nothing!)

TAKE THAT!

"Here is my proof!" I said, presenting the Prototype Sim Game.

There was silence for a while… Neither the Judge nor Bladeston said anything. The usually noisy people in the courtroom were silent, and didn't mutter. Even Saltby didn't have a single pirate-themed wisecrack or sarcastic remark to throw at me! Somehow, I had expected that to happen, since the evidence I presented wasn't really something you'd expect to be presented at a trial…

"… What… What exactly is that?" the Judge asked, wide-eyed.

"It's… uh, it's… a videogame," I said.

"Yar, say what?!" Saltby said.

"A… A VIDEOGAME?!" the Judge yelled. "MR. TURNER!!! I WILL NOT TOLERATE MAKING SUCH A MOCKERY OF MY COURT!!! … I'm going to have to penalize you for this!"

(GAH!!! Wait a sec! It's really evidence!!!)

HOLD IT!

(Wha… That came from the prosecution's side—!)

"Wait just a second, Your Honor!" Bladeston said. "Before you penalize Mr. Turner, I would like to hear his explanation first."

"My… My explanation?" I asked, confused.

"Your explanation for this outrageous presentation of 'evidence', of course," Bladeston replied. "Unless you were bluffing, I'm sure you have a good explanation."

"Yeah, actually, I do!" I said. "But… My explanation is _another_ piece of evidence."

"What evidence could you possibly have to support your theory that this… this… videogame is related to this case? The Judge asked.

TAKE THAT!

"This is my evidence!" I said, presenting the Holographic Generator.

"… MR. TURNER!!!" the Judge yelled, infuriated. "I'M AFRAID THIS IS GOING TOO FAR!!!" He was about to penalize me…!

"N-No, wait, Your Honor!" I said. "Just give me a few seconds, and I can explain!"

… Thankfully, the Judge calmed down and allowed me 10 seconds to explain how the prototype sim game and the holographic generator showed that Saltby didn't really see an orange-haired woman in Professor Sourceton's study. I plugged in the holographic generator and inserted the sim game chip into the slot… Bingo! The game opened up and I was able to show the court the collection of recently used sims. I scrolled down, and pointed to the one in the second row, placed in the box labeled April 14th.

"T-That's…!" the Judge said.

"Yahargh! I-I-It's…" Saltby stuttered.

"The woman in Mr. Saltby's photo… Orange hair, green suit, and strikingly similar facial features. That sim is definitely her, there's no doubting it," Bladeston said. "So it seems that Mr. Turner is correct… The witness did not see an orange-haired 'woman', but an orange-haired hologram…"

The crowd got noisy again…

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"ORDER!!!" the Judge said. "Why… This is surprising indeed! M-Mr. Turner! How were you able to infer that the woman in Mr. Saltby's photo was actually a… this… strange 3-dimensional glowing thing? This is definitely the first time this has happened!"

(Okay! Now all I have to do is—)

OBJECTION!

(… Find a way to survive whatever Bladeston's gonna throw at me next. :Urk:)

"That's a very interesting way to prove a point, Mr. Turner," Bladeston said. "However, I have a question to ask you… How on earth would a holographic sim find its way all the way into Kurain Village, and inside Professor Bail Sourceton's study? Don't you find that odd? I mean: Kurain Village, for starters, is quite a distance away from the city, where technology brims… Not to sound rude, but finding technical machines such as a holographic generator in a small village in the mountains would be quite hard to believe, don't you think?"

"Yar, I wanna know the same thing!" Saltby said. "How'd that thingamajiggy thang end up in Old Sourcey's place?"

(Funny of you to ask that…)

"Actually, it's kinda funny for you to ask that question, Mr. Saltby," I said, "That's because the answer lies in something you _forgot to add to your testimony_, Mr. Saltby!"

"Yahargh!" Saltby said, "What're ya blabbin' 'bout this time, landlubber? I told the truth, di'n't I?!"

(You told most of it, but not all!)

"… I think I know what you're driving at, Mr. Turner," Bladeston suddenly said. "So that is why you asked the witness about all the things he saw before the crime… Very well, then." He pointed at me, "Please tell the court about what the witness 'forgot' to add to his testimony!"

"Alright!" I said, and pointed at Bladeston as well, "There is one person that Mr. Saltby ran into on the day of the murder. Inside Professor Sourceton's own home, Mr. Saltby ran into… FELIX SOURCETON!!! You forgot to mention encountering Felix in your testimony, Mr. Saltby!"

"Ya-Ya-Argh!!!" Saltby yelled. "F-F-Felix!!!"

The crowd got noisy again.

BANG! BANG!

"O-Order!" the Judge said, and looked at me. "Mr. Turner! Y-Y-You don't mean… THAT Felix Sourceton? The victim's son?"

"Yeah, that's who I was referring to!" I said. "Mr. Saltby ran into Felix Sourceton!"

"Mr. Saltby!" the Judge said, "Why did you not mention this in your testimony?"

"I… I, er… I forgot!" Saltby said, sweating a little. "It slipped me mind, yargh!"

"But wait!" the Judge suddenly said, "How does encountering the victim's son tie up with the 3-dimensional-thing-producing technical machine ending up in the victim's residence?"

"That's an easy one!" I said. "See, Felix Sourceton works—"

"Mr. Felix Sourceton works at a computer and gaming supplies store, Your Honor," Bladeston suddenly cut in. "Having quite a background on science and technology, Felix was able to build the holographic generator, as well as create his own prototype videogame just presented. As he is also Professor Sourceton's son, it would only be natural that he visits his father every once in a while. He 'probably brought the holographic generator and game with him on that day as well', right? Isn't that what you were trying to say, Mr. Turner?"

"Uh, yeah…" I said.

"Hmm… Wait a minute," the Judge said. "Mr. Bladeston… You just said that Mr. Felix Sourceton brought the machine and game thing on his visit… Are you implying that he may have had something to do with the murder?"

"Of course not, Your Honor!" Bladeston answered. "That would be utterly ridiculous, for Professor Sourceton is Felix's father… Not to mention the fact that what Mr. Turner is trying to say… is completely flawed."

"SAY WHAT?!" I suddenly yelled.

"Not too loud, Mr. Turner," Bladeston said. "And, yes, what you were trying to say is flawed. You tried to say that Felix was the one responsible for bringing the holographic generator and placing it in Professor Sourceton's study. However, that is not the case. See, Felix had come to Kurain for only one purpose: _he was going to sell the holographic generator and game_."

"He… He went to Kurain… to sell the generator and game?!" I said. "What?"

"That's right," Bladeston said. "Don't forget, I spoke with Felix himself yesterday… I asked him about his purpose for coming all the way to Kurain that day, and he answered that he had not originally intended to go to his father's house, as he had already done so the week before. Felix needed money, and a group of girls from Kurain offered to buy the holographic generator and game. Yet for some reason, on the day itself, the girls had not appeared at the meeting place as promised, and Felix had to go home with the items."

(Well, Felix DID seem kinda eager to sell that stuff…)

Prototype Sim Game information updated.

Holographic Generator information updated.

"Wait," I said. "How did Felix end up in Professor Sourceton's house, then?"

"Same reason as Mr. Saltby," Bladeston smirked.

"Yar, he had ta return a measurin' cup, too?" Saltby asked.

(Er… I think he was talking about the "other" reason. :Sweatdrop:)

"Felix did not see the crime itself, however, he witnessed something of equal importance," Bladeston continued. "As Felix left the Sourceton Residence, he saw a certain person enter the house through the back door… Of course, I am talking about the defendant, Midori Turner."

"WHAAAAAT?!" I yelled. "M-MIDORI?! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!!!"

"If you do not wish to believe me, Mr. Turner…" Bladeston said, "Then perhaps we should ask Felix himself?"

"Ah! You mean…" the Judge said.

"Correct, Your Honor," Bladeston said. "The prosecution would like to call forth the next witness: Mr. Felix Sourceton!"

BANG!

"Alright then!" the Judge said, "Please bring in the next witness!"

(So this is what Detective Razor was talking about…)

…………

Saltby left the witness stand. A few minutes later, Felix went in… He was in his "Normal Mode", and looked like the same calm "Phil" that Eddy and I met at Digi-Universe Computer and Gaming Supplies. That made me wonder if his "Angry Mode" would come out soon, though. Felix looked sleepy as always, and had his coffee thermos with him. The Judge didn't look pleased with this.

"Um, excuse me…" the Judge said to Felix, "I'm afraid that food and drinks are not allowed inside this courtroom."

"Lawl, really?" Felix said, and drank from his thermos anyway.

"Er…" the Judge said, "It's in the rules. Food and drinks are not allowed—"

"Listen here, Your Honor," Felix cut in, and took another gulp. "That there's a violation of my human genius rights."

(Your WHAT?!)

"Er… I beg your pardon?" the Judge said, confused as always.

"It's a violation of my human genius rights," Felix said. "See, I'm a genius. All geniuses have a secret item that's the root of their genius. Galileo had his telescope, Michelangelo had his paintbrush, Rousseau had his pen, Einstein had his Theory of Relativity, and I've got… my coffee. My coffee, my genius, my rules." He smirked and drank again.

"Oh, uh… I see," the Judge said, obviously much more confused.

(Poor Judge… Always lost when people brag exaggeratingly about themselves. :Sigh:)

"Ahem," Bladeston interrupted, "Your Honor, if I may continue…"

"Oh, yes, please do!" the Judge said.

"Alright," Bladeston said, and cleared his throat. "Will the witness please state his name and occupation?"

"Ah… right," Felix said. "My name's Phi— Felix Sourceton. I work at Digi-Universe Computer and Gaming Supplies, and I'm also a freelance videogame creator."

"Now, Felix," Bladeston said, "You told me yesterday that you went to Kurain Village not to visit your father, but to sell some items."

"That's right," Felix said.

"However, you did not succeed in doing so," Bladeston continued, "And you ended up bringing the items back to the city."

"Yep," Felix said.

"And you made a quick pit stop at the Sourceton Residence and left," Bladeston carried on, "That was when you witnessed the defendant entering the house through the back door, right?"

"… Uh-huh, that's right," Felix said.

(That's a lie… I know it is!)

"Very well…" the Judge said, "Please testify about what happened on your visit to Kurain the other day."

"Uh, okay," Felix said, and drank from his thermos.

(Felix… You can't slither your way outta this one! I promised Eddy!)

**TESTIMONY BEGINS**

"It all started when I got this call," Felix began. "Some girls from a small Virtual Reality club in Kurain wanted to buy the holographic generator that I built, along with my prototype sim game… But when I got to the specified location, they weren't there. I was about to go home when I decided to make a quick stop at the Big Prof's house."

"How long did you stay there?" Bladeston asked.

"I stayed there for around 15 minutes," Felix continued. "When I left, I saw her… It was a woman with a green suit and long orange hair."

"Hmm…" the Judge said. "Are you sure you remember all the details?"

"Yeah, I think so," Felix said.

"I just have a question to ask," I said. "How come, when I asked you yesterday, you said that you only heard of Professor Sourceton's death when I told you about it, when Mr. Bladeston had already come to your store to tell you about what happened?"

"Uh…" Felix said, sweating, "I-I probably just forgot…"

"You forgot that someone already told you about the murder of Professor Sourceton?!" I asked. "I hardly think it possible to forget about something such as a murder, Felix!"

"Hmm… That is quite baffling," the Judge said.

"Ah, well… I… I fell asleep, remember?" Felix said. "I… I thought that that guy coming in to tell me the news of the Big Prof's death was just a nightmare, until you came and told me it was real!"

"Oh… Uh…" I muttered. "A nightmare, huh?"

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk," the Judge shook his head, and glared at me, "You always seem to be the bearer of bad news, Mr. Turner!"

"Yeah, you just had to tell me that the Big Prof's death was real, didn't ya?" Felix said bitterly, and drank again.

"Hmph. Mr. Turner seems to be good at being a bad omen, anyway," Bladeston said.

(W-WHAAAAAAT?! Why is everyone suddenly looking at me as if I were the bad guy here?!)

"Regardless, had Mr. Turner not shattered this man with the news of his father's death, the trial would probably not continue," Bladeston said.

(But it was YOU who told Felix about it first, Bladeston!)

"Uh… Could I just start the cross-examination now?" I said, sweatdropping.

"All right," the Judge said. "You may begin the cross-examination."

**CROSS-EXAMINATION**

"It all started when I got this call. Some girls from a small Virtual Reality club in Kurain wanted to buy the holographic generator that I built, along with my prototype sim game…"

HOLD IT!

"How come the girls who wanted to buy from you were from _Kurain Village_, of all places?" I asked.

"Beats me," Felix said. "I was only interested in selling the stuff."

"Why did you need to sell the generator and the game?" I asked.

"Money," Felix said, and drank again. "The only thing I was thinking of was how I was gonna pay the rent. It didn't matter how far the place was; I just needed to sell the holographic generator and prototype sim game, 'cuz I knew they'd sell for a large amount. But…"

"But when I got to the specified location, they weren't there."

HOLD IT!

"Why weren't they there?" I asked.

"I honestly don't know," Felix shrugged. "But it was a real bummer. I mean, I thought I'd be able to get some money outta selling the stuff, but sheesh… What a letdown! A total waste of my genius time!" He drank again.

"Okay…" I continued, "Why were you so intent on selling those items? I mean, weren't there other ways for you to pay the rent, like your job, for example?"

"I, uh…" Felix said, "See, I… Um…"

OBJECTION!

"Witness, that question is irrelevant," Bladeston said, "Whatever your reason for selling the items is, it is not related to this case. Please continue with your testimony."

(Grr… Not again!)

"I was about to go home when I decided to make a quick stop at the Big Prof's house."

HOLD IT!

"This was because you had to… er, use the bathroom, right?" I said.

"Uh-huh," Felix answered.

"If I may ask a question," the Judge said, "Why do you refer to Professor Sourceton as 'The Big Prof'?"

"Well, uh…" Felix tried to say, but was cut off.

"It's a sign of both respect and affection, Your Honor," Bladeston said. "The victim was known by the title of 'Professor', and Felix kept this title in high regard. Rather than calling Professor Sourceton 'Dad' or any other normal term for a father, Felix called him 'The Big Prof' as a sign of a higher form of respect."

"I see…" the Judge said, nodding. "So you kept your father and his title as Professor in high regard, Felix?"

"Y-Yeah…" Felix said, looking down. "I had a lotta respect for him."

(That facial expression isn't faked. So Felix really had a lot of respect for Professor Sourceton, huh? Then… Why would he…)

"Please tell us the duration of your stay at the victim's house, witness," Bladeston said.

"I stayed there for around 15 minutes."

HOLD IT!

"What happened during those 15 minutes, Felix?" I asked.

"I did what I hadda do, and left," Felix shrugged, and drank some more coffee. "That's pretty much what happened.

"15 minutes seems kinda long for someone to just use the bathroom, don't'cha think?" I said, and pointed at him. "Are you sure that you did nothing else while you were at Professor Sourceton's house?!"

"…" Felix muttered.

"Well?" I said,

"…" Felix muttered again, and said, "… Sorry. What was the question again?"

"… Y'know what, never mind," I said, internally sighing at Felix's lack of cooperation… and attention. "So… Did you come across anyone while you were there?"

"… I can't remember," Felix said, thinking for a while. "That old man, Saltby, was there, but I didn't really see him do anything."

"You _'didn't see him do anything'_?" I asked.

"Meh, details, details," Felix said. "I really can't be bothered to remember everything that happened, 'cuz that's just wasting a genius's time!"

(Grr! Again with the genius act! Why can't I get him to talk?!)

"When I left, I saw her… It was a woman with a green suit and long orange hair."

HOLD IT!

"That description's kinda vague…" I said. "What else can you tell us about the woman you saw?"

"She had orange hair and a green suit," Felix said, smirking. "That's it."

"Okay…" I said, sweatdropping.

"Did you think it was the defendant, Midori Turner, when you first saw the woman?" Bladeston asked.

"… I dunno," Felix said. "I'm pretty sure it was her, but I don't really know the defendant that well."

(Hmm… The way he said that, his voice was calm… The Wahrheitron didn't beep at all! Looks like I have to scour through his testimony the old-fashioned way: by manually finding a contradiction!)

"Please add this to your testimony," the Judge said.

I skimmed a bit through Felix's testimony again. I couldn't find anything really important in the first four statements, but the fifth and sixth statements seemed kinda out-of-place. I checked the Court Record again, and it hit me.

(How could I NOT notice that?!)

"I'm pretty sure it was her, but I don't really know the defendant that well."

OBJECTION!

I did a desk slam, and said, "It's impossible for you to not know my sister, Felix!" I pointed at him, "And this proves it!"

"T-T-That's—!" Felix said, shocked.

"This is the RYG-33 Case File," I said, presenting the file. "Felix, you just said that you 'didn't know the defendant that well', but that's not true! _You KNEW my sister pretty well, and that's because she handled this case, wherein you were also a witness, only a little more than 2 months ago!!!_"

"Ah… Ah!!!" Felix said, "G-Grr…"

"Well, whaddya say to that?" I said. "Sis told me that she remembered you pretty well, and since Professor Sourceton was also her former client, I'd expect that YOU knew Midori quite well, too, and would at least be able to recognize her! Isn't that right?"

"Why yes, that makes sense!" the Judge said, wide-eyed. "It's possible to still recognize someone even after two months! Why, I myself went to the grocery store two months ago and accidentally knocked over a pyramid of tuna cans, and the manager of that grocery store still knows me today!"

(Er… That's nice, Your Honor…)

"A-Anyway!" I said, "Since Felix knew my sister, he would've been able to describe her appearance more clearly…" I did another desk slam. "But since the description was pretty vague, **I think it's entirely possible that Felix DID NOT see Midori at all!!!**"

"I… Uh…" Felix muttered, sweating. "Y'see, it's… uh—"

OBJECTION!

"I'm afraid you've made another mistake, Mr. Turner!" Bladeston said, and pointed at me. "It is VERY possible for the witness to not recognize the defendant."

"W-What?" I said.

"What you just proposed…" Bladeston said, "Is _circumstantial_."

"Y-Yeah, what he said!" Felix answered. "It's circumstantial!"

"Circumstantial?" I asked, "What do you mean, Mr. Bladeston?"

"Ah, it's quite simple," Bladeston sighed, and adjusted his glasses. "It all anchors down on the individual's memory. The human mind has a natural tendency to go off-topic, you see, and that also holds true for how well an individual can remember a certain event. As for the witness, it's very possible that he forgot some details about that case two months ago! **Therefore, when he saw the defendant entering the victim's home, he did not recognize her!!!**"

OBJECTION!

"I'm afraid that _your _proposal is circumstantial, too, Mr. Bladeston!" I said, and pointed at him. "Sure, most people would forget about things such as these… **But Felix has definitely not yet forgotten about RYG-33!!!**"

OBJECTION!

"Oh, really?" Bladeston said, smirking. "Then let me ask you this, Mr. Turner: how can you be so sure that Felix Sourceton would not forget about Case RYG-33?!" He did a desk slam. "Mr. Turner! Tell me… Do YOU remember the prosecutor from your first case?"

"Uh…" I said, "It was some old guy who couldn't get his point across— Anyway! That's not the point! Felix DOES remember everything about Case RYG-33, my sis included! And I've got proof of that!"

"Then let's see your proof!" Bladeston said.

TAKE THAT!

"This is my proof!" I said, presenting the old photo of Felix and Edna when they were kids. "Felix can't have forgotten about RYG-33 yet, and that's because of the person in this photo!"

"W-Why, that's…" the Judge said, "That's—"

"E-Edna…" Felix muttered, and looked down. "Edna Fey… the victim of that case…"

"Edna Fey," I said, "Edna Fey was the last member of the Fey Clan. Her death in February caused the 'extinction' of the Feys in Kurain Village… She was also Felix Sourceton's best friend! F-Felix, he… He witnessed her murder, and that's why… Felix can't forget about Case RYG-33!"

"G-G-Grr…" Felix growled. "Y-You…"

Again, the people in the courtroom grew noisy…

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"ORDER!!!" the Judge said, and turned to ask Felix, "Is… Is that right? Does that mean that you recognize the defense attorney who handled that case, namely, Midori Turner, even until now?"

"I… I can't say," Felix said.

"Did you really see my sister on the day of the murder, Felix?!" I pressed further.

"I… I… I CAN'T TELL YOU!!!" Felix growled.

(Uh-oh… Looks like Angry Mode Felix's coming out!)

"Please answer the question!" I said.

OBJECTION!

"Mr. Turner, you are badgering the witness!" Bladeston said, slamming his desk. "I suggest you stop this line of questioning right now!"

OBJECTION!

"That's only because he _needs_ to answer the question!" I objected back. "Mr. Bladeston, this is crucial… Did Felix really see Midori? Is he even telling the truth?!"

OBJECTION!

"That means… You can't be serious!" Bladeston said. "Why… That's ludicrous!"

OBJECTION!

"Actually, I think it fits…" I said. "There's a reason why Felix isn't responding. That's because he didn't see Midori at all! I say his entire testimony's a lie!!!"

"S-STOP!!!" Felix yelled. "STOP IT!!!"

BANG!

"Enough!" the Judge said. "Due to the fact that the witness, Mr. Felix Sourceton, isn't replying, I think some time is needed to think this whole matter over… I suggest both the defense and the prosecution study their theories on this case more thoroughly! Thus, I am now declaring a 15-minute recess."

(Argh… I almost had him!)

* * *

**April 16, 12:44 PM; District Court, Defendant Lobby **

"Griffin, you're really sure about this…" Midori said, "I find it hard to believe…"

"I swear that's what the evidence is saying, sis!" I reasoned. "Felix murdered Professor Sourceton and framed you by using that holographic sim he created!"

"But… why?" Midori said, thinking. "Felix would have no reason to murder his own foster father, or frame me…"

"I dunno why either, but I'm sure Case RYG-33's got something to do with it!" I said. "This entire case… It's like—"

"**This entire case is just like a chemical reaction."**

(That voice… It's… He actually came!)

"EDDY!!!" I couldn't help but exclaim when I saw him standing right behind me, "Y-You actually came?"

"Ehehe…" Eddy smirked. "Of course! I may be late, but I gotta show up, right?"

"Eddy… Thanks you for being so supportive!" Midori said.

"Aww, gee… Well… Ehehehe…" Eddy said, blushing.

(Glad to see he's stable now… even the faboy-ish crush on sis is back!)

"Oh! Right!" I said, and asked Eddy, "You okay, buddy? You're sure you really wanna go in there when the trial continues?"

"Yeah, I'm sure!" Eddy said. "I was watching the trial from the TV in the waiting room. You were awesome, Griff! But you can still do better to bring down Felix! That's why I wanna be there… when Felix confesses! … But we don't have much time to talk about that now, Griff!"

"Uh-huh!" I said. "So… What did you mean when you said that this entire case's like a chemical reaction?"

"It's simple," Eddy said. "We've got three reactants, and we've got two products. The reactants are: one, Felix's motive; two, the reason he framed Ms. Midori; and three, the reason why he had to rearrange the crime scene. In turn, the products are: one, Professor Sourceton's death, obviously; and two, Ms. Midori's arrest…" He paused. "But then again, it's kinda confusing…"

"Confusing?" I asked. "What is?"

"Why did Felix frame Ms. Midori?" Eddy said, thinking. "That holographic sim was obviously modeled after her! … **And that leads me to think: this chemical reaction… has a catalyst.**"

"A catalyst…" I said. "That's something that participates in a chemical reaction, but doesn't get altered itself!"

"What do you suppose this catalyst is?" Midori asked Eddy.

"I'm not sure yet, Ms. Midori!" Eddy said, and looked at me. "Well, how about you, Griff? What do you think the catalyst is?"

(Me? Hmm… The catalyst for this case…)

"I have a hunch," I said. "I think the catalyst is… the Fey Clan. It's possible."

"Hmm… Yeah," Eddy said, thinking. "Oh! And, speaking of the Fey Clan, I did some extra research on them… You know that magatama half we found? Well, apparently, only _accepted clan members_ get one… Which is weird! How come we found one half at Professor Sourceton's house, and the other half at Felix's store?"

"Yeah, that's weird alright," I said. "The magatama halves we found don't look anything like Edna Fey's, judging from the photo…" I looked at Midori. "By the way, sis, why did you take that book when you stumbled upon the crime scene? You know, the heavy one all about the Fey Clan?" I presented the Heavy Book.

"Oh, that one," Midori said, thinking. "Well… Something about that book was strange. I mean, the entire crime scene was a mess, but that book was the only one that wasn't either ripped to shreds or on the floor, so I decided to take a look at it."

"The book was the only one not ripped?" I asked. Midori nodded.

Heavy Book information updated.

"Anyway," I said, "I still think Felix did it. Like Eddy said, this case is like a chemical reaction… And the catalyst… it's the Fey Clan!"

"_Looks like you're going to have to test that theory of yours, Mr. Turner."_

(Uh-oh! That can't be who I think it is… right?)

I turned around, and saw… Lance Bladeston. His orange coat, scar, and green glasses gave him away automatically. Now that I was able to see him up-close, I noticed a couple of things… There was something under his coat… I didn't know what it was, but it kinda looked like a cane. I also noticed something that would make me feel inferior to Bladeston even more than I already did.

"You know, you look a lot taller in court, Mr. Turner," Bladeston said, and let out a small laugh. "Seems to me the defense table worked an optical illusion. Who knew you were only 5'2"? That's the height of a 12-year-old."

(Aww, great. Now Bladeston's above me again… Literally! Damn it! Why must he be one foot taller than me?!)

"Uh…" was all I could say after he had made fun of my height. "What do you want?"

"Hmph. So you think of this case as a 'chemical reaction' now, Mr. Turner?" Bladeston smirked. "How amusing. I merely want to know why you keep trying to one-up me, when you obviously know that it's impossible."

"W-What?" I said.

"Honestly," Bladeston said, "I am a prosecuting speed demon, Mr. Turner. You can't expect to win this case, no matter how hard you try!"

"H-HEY!!!" Eddy rose up in my defense. "Y-You can't talk to Griff like that, Scar-face!"

"And now, I am even more amused to see a child attempting to bad-mouth me," Bladeston said, and turned to walk away. "I'm looking forward to the next stunt you're about to pull, Mr. Turner. It should be a blast." He left…

"Grr…" I muttered. "_DID HE JUST CALL ME SHORT?!_ Why I oughtta…"

"Now, now, Griffin!" Midori said, trying to calm me down. "You can settle that later."

"Yeah!" Eddy agreed. "We need to get back inside the courtroom now, Griff! Don't worry, you can kick Bladeston's butt when you prove Ms. Midori innocent!"

(He's right… Okay! Time to step into the courtroom!)

* * *

**April 16, 1:00 PM, District Court, Courtroom #3**

BANG!

"Court is back in session," the Judge said.

"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor," Bladeston said, adjusting his glasses.

"The defense is ready, Your Honor!" I said.

"Oho, I see you've got some extra vigor, Mr. Turner!" the Judge said. Bladeston coughed. "A-Anyway… Mr. Bladeston, please go on ahead."

"Yes, Your Honor," Bladeston said. "Not too long ago, the defense made a striking proposal, saying that the witness, as well as the victim's own son, Mr. Felix Sourceton, had lied about seeing the defendant enter the victim's home. The prosecution questions this completely, and thus, would like to verify once and for all exactly what Felix Sourceton witnessed."

"Very well," the Judge said, "You may now call forth your witness."

"The prosecution would like to call, again, Mr. Felix Sourceton to testify," Bladeston said.

…………

Felix was back at the witness stand. He had regained composure, and wasn't in Angry Mode… for the time being. As always, he had his thermos with him.

"Please testify about the series of events on the day of the crime," Bladeston said, and added, "In full detail. I want no oversights."

"O-Okay…" Felix said.

**TESTIMONY BEGINS**

"Alright, I'll tell you what really happened," Felix said, and took another gulp from his thermos. "I… I wasn't really planning on selling the holographic generator and the game. The reason I came all the way to Kurain was because I needed to find out about something… Anyway, I ended up in the Big Prof's house, and stayed there for a while. The old pirate was there, too."

"And what about the defendant?" Bladeston asked.

"I swear… I can't remember what happened, but I saw her," Felix replied. "I'm sure I did!"

"Then why was your description so vague?" I asked.

"Heh," Felix said, and drank from his thermos. "I've already said it. I don't really pay that much attention to detail, even if, yeah, I do remember that woman!"

(I doubt it…)

"Alright then…" the Judge said, "The defense may now begin the cross-examination."

**CROSS-EXAMINATION**

"Alright, I'll tell you what really happened."

HOLD IT!

"Why didn't you tell us what really happened in your previous testimony?" I asked.

"I… Uh…" Felix said, "Look, sometimes geniuses don't need reasons, okay?!"

"Ah… Okay…" I said.

(Hmm… He's much more defensive this time around!)

"I… I wasn't really planning on selling the holographic generator and the game."

HOLD IT!

"Then why did you bring them all the way to Kurain?" I asked. "I mean, it would've been less of a hassle if you didn't bring a heavy technical machine and a video game along with you all the way into the mountains, right?"

"I brought the items…" Felix said, "Because I needed them."

"Needed them?" I asked. "What did you need a holographic generator and a video game for?!"

"Frankly, I would also like to find out," Bladeston said.

"I brought the items along anyway," Felix said, "And that's because…"

"The reason I came all the way to Kurain was because I needed to find out about something…"

HOLD IT!

"You needed to find out about something?" I asked. "What was that?"

"I can't tell you about that," Felix said.

"W-What?!" I said, "Why not?"

"Because it's really not that important!" Felix said. "Sheesh, can we just get on with this?"

(Oh, boy… He's slowly going into Angry Mode again… Just for good measure, should I press further or not?)

**PRESS FURTHER**

**BACK OFF**

"I really think you should tell us more about what you had intended to do, Felix!" I said after doing another desk slam. I decided that, if I was gonna get Felix to tell the complete truth, I needed to press every single statement thoroughly.

"Aww, fine!" Felix said, and drank again. "But this better not waste my genius time!"

("Genius Time"… Riiiight.)

"I was trying to find out more about… the Fey Clan."

HOLD IT!

"The Fey Clan?" I asked. "Wait… Why did you need a holographic generator to do research on the Fey Clan?"

"Hmph. Did ya forget already?" Felix smirked. "Remember, that holographic generator's also used for creating sims, not just playing them. I had that intention in mind. I wanted to make a 3D timeline of the Fey Clan's rise to power in Kurain Village."

"And why did you do wanna do that?" I asked.

"… Like you need to ask!" Felix said, looking down.

(Oh, right…)

"Looks like tat wasted two more minutes of our time, eh, Mr. Turner?" Bladeston said, and adjusted his glasses again. "Witness, please continue."

"Anyway, I ended up in the Big Prof's house, and stayed there for a while. The old pirate was there, too."

HOLD IT!

"The old pirate… Did Mr. Saltby try to talk to you?" I asked.

"He tried to say something, yeah," Felix answered. "But you know how that geezer is. His words are incomprehensible!"

"Which means that, even if Mr. Saltby tried to talk to you," Bladeston said, "You still couldn't understand him?"

"Uh-huh. Pretty much," Felix said.

"Please continue," the Judge said.

"I swear… I can't remember what happened, but I saw her. I'm sure I did!"

HOLD IT!

"So you're saying…" I said, "That you REALLY saw Midori enter Professor Sourceton's house?"

"For the nth time… Yes!" Felix answered bitterly.

"So how do you explain the vague description?" I tried to ask, but was cut off.

OBJECTION!

"Must you dwell on that subject forever, Mr. Turner?" Bladeston sighed, and shook his head. "The witness has answered your question!"

(Aww, man!)

"Yeah!" Felix agreed with Bladeston again. "Besides…"

"I've already said it. I don't really pay that much attention to detail, even if, yeah, I do remember that woman!"

OBJECTION!

"Again, that's a lie!" I said, pointing my finger at Felix. "**There's a reason why your description was unclear, and that's because you DID NOT see Midori!!!**"

OBJECTION!

"Not again, Mr. Turner!" Bladeston said, getting annoyed. "I have honestly had enough of this baseless conjecture—!"

OBJECTION!

"Baseless?" I said, and shook my head. "Nope. My claim is anything but baseless! I've got my proof right here!" I presented the photo that Saltby took, and continued, "Felix just said that he didn't pay attention to detail, despite admitting to being able to recognize my sister… But! That's not the case! As you can see here, Felix DID pay close attention, as seen in how he tried to implement even the minor details in designing this sim! _HE PURPOSELY MODELED THIS SIM AFTER MIDORI!!!_"

"G-Gah!" Bladeston said, taken aback. "Felix Sourceton! Explain this right now!"

"H-Huh?!" Felix said, shocked as well. "I… Uh… I didn't model that sim after her—!"

OBJECTION!

"That's not true!" I said. "You DID model it after sis… Anybody who'd take a look at sis's photo and this one can tell! That's why even Saltby was fooled!" I did a desk slam. "Which is why you didn't describe seeing 'Midori' entering the Sourceton Residence in full detail! That would blow your cover!!!"

"G-GRAAAAAARRGGGHH!!!" Felix yelled. "N-NO!!!"

The crowd got noisy… And REALLY noisy that time around! It was already like they were yelling their gasps of shock!

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"ORDER!!!" the Judge yelled. "Mr. Turner… You can't seriously be implicating…"

"That's right, Your Honor," I nodded, and pointed at Felix, "Felix Sourceton! You framed my sister… And that's because _**YOU ARE THE REAL MURDERER!!!**_"

"GRAAAAAAAAARRGGGHH!!!!" Felix yelled, and slammed his thermos onto the witness stand. "THAT'S NOT TRUE!!!"

"You murdered Professor Bail Sourceton!" I continued, "And you tried to pin the blame on Midori with that hologram!"

OBJECTION!

"That's preposterous!!!" Bladeston yelled, and pointed at me, "He would have no reason to murder his own father!"

OBJECTION!

"The evidence says otherwise!" I yelled.

BANG!!!

"Mr. Turner!" the Judge said, shocked, "Are you seriously saying that Felix murdered his own father?!"

"Correct, Your Honor!" I replied.

"NO!!!" Felix yelled again. "I… I DIDN'T DO IT!!!"

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

THAT'S A LIE!!!

"You did it…" I said, "And I can prove it!"

**WAHRHEITRON INTERROGATION PHASE**

It was time for the showdown! The Corpus Meters showed up after a second. I knew that Felix was lying then, and that was because his Corpus Meter had a whopping 125 EP's: more than twice the number of mine! But still, I had to try and finish them all off!

(I can win this… The Court Record's on my side!)

"GRR…" Felix growled, "First you say I killed the Big Prof… And now you're accusing me of lying? Heh! Prove it!"

RIGHT THERE!

"You're obviously lying, Felix!" I said. "One glance at that Poker Face you're sporting would give you away, no matter how impassive you try to look!"

"G-Grr…" Felix growled again as he lost 25 EP's. "So… Lemme get this straight… You think I murdered the Big Prof? HA! You wish. He died because of a blow on the head, right? Well, listen here! I didn't even bring any blunt objects with me then!"

OBJECTION!

"Nope, you did," I said, presenting the holographic generator. "This counts as a blunt object, right?"

OBJECTION!

"Perhaps you should learn to think before making accusations, Mr. Turner!" Bladeston said. "If that holographic generator was the murder weapon, then why are there no bloodstains on it?!"

(Oh… snap. I didn't think about that!)

"Hey! Watch it, Griff!" Eddy said as I lost 20 EP's. "Be more careful next time! Felix still has 100 EP's, and you've only got 30!!!"

"Hehehehe!!!" Felix sneered. "How about it, flamehead? Still think you can win? Fat chance! Show me some proof that I murdered the Big Prof!"

(Damn it! I… I don't have in the Court Record that can somehow show that Felix had a murder weapon!)

"Don't give up yet, Griff!" Eddy said. "Think back to our investigations… Maybe you just overlooked something!"

Eddy was right. I checked all the evidence again… There was one thing I found weird, though I wasn't sure if I should present it then.

(Argh! Here goes nothing!)

TAKE THAT!

"Wha… What is that, Mr. Turner?" the Judge asked.

"These are the Floor Plans to Professor Sourceton's study, Your Honor." I said, presenting the Floor Plans. "This _clearly_ shows how Felix murdered Professor Sourceton!"

OBJECTION!

"Are you bluffing again, Mr. Turner?!" Bladeston snapped. "That looks nothing like a murder weapon!"

OBJECTION!

"I didn't say that the Floor Plans themselves were the murder weapon," I said. "Take a good look at it, please! The small X's on them represent the bloodstains found at the scene via Luminol Fluid… Now, I would like to direct the court's attention here!" I pointed at the window, "Notice how the window has the most amount of blood?"

"Ah! You're right!" the Judge said, surprised. "There is almost no blood at all on the floor, where Professor Sourceton was supposedly hit!"

"Wh-What is the meaning of this?!" Bladeston said. "Are you saying that…"

"That's right!" I nodded. "This is the true murder weapon and murder method. _**FELIX SHOVED PROFESSOR SOURCETON ONTO THE WINDOW!!!**_"

"GAAAHH!!! DAMN IT!!!" Felix yelled as he lost another 25 EP's.

OBJECTION!

"But the Autopsy Report says that the victim died of blunt force trauma!" Bladeston yelled. "**Getting shoved onto a window is NOT strong enough to cause death!**"

"Y-Yeah!" Felix said, sweating profusely. "H-He's right!"

OBJECTION!

"Not when it's a _One-Way Bulletproof Glass window_, Mr. Bladeston!" I said, presenting the glass shards. "The force from the impact would definitely have been strong enough to mimic the effects of blunt force trauma!"

"G-Grr…" Bladeston muttered. "Felix Sourceton! Explain this!!!"

"I… Uh… AARRGGHH!!!" Felix yelled in frustration. He lost another 25 EP's!!!

"All right!!!" Eddy said. "You've almost got him, Griff! He's only got 50 EP's left…"

"But the window shattered, right?" the Judge said.

"Yeah, it was," I said, "But it was broken _after_ the impact!" I presented the glass shards and continued, "As Detective Razor said yesterday, the window was made of One-Way Bulletproof Glass… It was impenetrable by bullets on the outside, but not on the inside! Felix, after shoving Professor Sourceton onto the window, shot at it to make it break and look like there was forced entry!!!"

"GRRR…" Felix growled again.

The crowd started with the usual muttering, and the Judge had to pound his gavel three times to get them to shut up.

(I've almost done it! Yes!!!)

_**HOLD IT!!!**_

(Or maybe not. :Urk:)

"Hmph…" Bladeston said, regaining his cool, "I see you're enjoying yourself now, Mr. Turner… However, you have, as always, overlooked one very crucial matter."

"W-What?" I said.

"Mr. Griffin Turner…" Bladeston said, and removed his glasses, revealing his true eyes. They really were red!!! Bladeston then did a desk slam and pointed at me, saying, "_**YOU HAVE FAILED TO STATE A MOTIVE FOR MURDER!!!**_"

"WHAAAAAAAAT?!" I yelled.

"Oh! You're quite right, Mr. Bladeston!" the Judge said, and glared at me. "Mr. Turner! That was quite an accusation, but unfortunately you forgot to include the most important thing: a motive! I'm going to have to penalize you dearly for this!"

(WHAT?! NO!!! WAIT!!! PSY-AI-AI-AI-AI!!!)

"HAHAHAHA!!!" Felix cackled, "Nice try, flamehead!!!"

(Damn it!!!)

I couldn't do anything. The Judge penalized me, and I lost 25 EP's… I only had 5 left, and I couldn't think of anything! No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't think of a possible motive!

(No… Not again…)

…………

…………

I didn't know what happened next. I remember still being in the courtroom, when, all of a sudden, my vision failed… When I was able to see again, I found myself in a dark room. It obviously wasn't the courtroom, and I wondered where the hell I ended up in.

"W-Where am I?"

"_**You do not need to know."**_

I suddenly heard a voice come from nowhere!

"W-Who are you?! Show yourself!"

"_**Hahaha… You already know who I am… Griffin Turner. I do not need to show myself."**_

"I… I know you?"

"_**Correct. I have been inside the deepest corners of your mind for a long, long time… And yet, you only learned to value my existence recently, and sought me when you thought that I had left. Isn't that right?"**_

"Wha… You're… Are you my 'special ability'?!"

"_**I see you are catching on… Good. You are correct… I am, what you call, your 'special ability' to form the most complex and enigmatic patterns in your head, almost at an instant."**_

"B-But… Why am I here? _I… I'M NOT DEAD, AM I?!_ Please tell me I didn't die! I didn't die, right?! I'm not dead!!!"

"_**Calm down, boy… You are not dead… I brought you here."**_

"Huh? If I'm not dead… Then why'd you bring me here? Why am I not in the courtroom?!"

"_**Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. I hope you are not going to complain, Griffin Turner… I am trying to help you."**_

"H-Help me?"

"_**That's right. Right now, you have been placed in a most difficult situation. You need to specify a motive for murder… Well, here I come offering you help."**_

"S-So… What're you gonna do?"

"_**I shall give you some advice… Everything happens for a reason. The same applies to Felix Sourceton and why he killed Professor Bail Sourceton…"**_

"You mean… You know the reason? Tell me!"

"_**I shall… However, do not expect me to come help you like this often…"**_

The voice then whispered something to me, and I got it. I finally found out why Professor Sourceton was killed!

"So that's why… Thank you! Thanks for helping me!"

"_**My pleasure… I cannot just stand and not do anything when the little one is in danger."**_

"Uh… right. Oh! And, before you leave… Could you tell me what you are? I mean, it's not like you're just a disembodied voice, right?"

"_**You really want to know? Alright, then… I AM your namesake, after all."**_

"My namesake…? AH!!! You… You're… A Gri—"

"_**You should get back now. Go on and do what you do best!"**_

…………

…………

I realized that my mind had gone blank for only a few seconds. I was back in the courtroom, and the Judge was about to let Felix leave the witness stand!

(Do what I do best, huh? Okay…)

_**OBJECTION!!!**_

"I HAVE AN ANSWER NOW, YOUR HONOR!!!" I yelled.

Everyone in the courtroom looked at me, confused. Even Eddy couldn't believe that I still wanted to oppose Felix and Bladeston!

"W-What?" the Judge said, shocked. "You mean… You have an explanation now?"

"Y-you must be joking!" Bladeston said. "You're actually going to state Felix's motive?!"

"Heh!" Felix sneered again. "You're grasping at straws, flamehead!!! You can't prove that I have a motive!!!"

"You're right!" I said. "I can't prove that you have a motive… because you don't have one!"

"Mr. Turner!" Bladeston yelled, "What are you—"

"BUT!" I continued, "Felix… You murdered Professor Sourceton. However… it was an accident!!!"

"A-AN ACCIDENT?!" both the Judge and Bladeston exclaimed at the same time.

"Griff!" Eddy said, "What are you talking about?"

"An accidental murder…" Bladeston muttered, "And I suppose you have evidence to back this up?"

TAKE THAT!

"Indeed I do!" I said, presenting Professor Sourceton's pacemaker. "This is Professor Sourceton's pacemaker. On April 14, it malfunctioned before he hit his head on the window. A few seconds after he was hit, though, his heart stopped completely. The cause of the pacemaker's malfunction was a frequency disruption!" I did a desk slam. "And there's only one thing that I can think of right now that could cause a frequency disruption! That is… the holographic generator!!! _Felix, by bringing the holographic generator within 5 feet of Professor Sourceton, caused the malfunction, who's internal blast caused Professor Sourceton to fall onto the window and hit his head!!!_"

OBJECTION!

"T-That's preposterous!" Bladeston said. "You have no proof that the holographic generator caused the frequency disruption!"

OBJECTION!

"I'd think that someone like you would've figured it out, Mr. Bladeston!" I said with some more confidence. "Electronic devices such as the holographic generator can cause _electromagnetic interference_! That's the case with Professor Sourceton's pacemaker!"

"D-Damn…" I heard Bladeston mutter.

"N-No…" Felix growled, "T-That's not true!"

"FELIX!!!" I said, pointing at him, "**You accidentally murdered Professor Sourceton and rearranged the crime scene to frame my sister!!!**"

"GRR…" Felix roared and slammed his thermos on the witness stand, as all of his EP's dropped down to zero, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

(I DID IT!!!)

"Alright!" Eddy said, jumping up in the air. "You did it, Griff! You did it!!!"

"Yeah!" I said, and looked at Felix again. "Well, Felix? Whaddya say to that?"

"I…" Felix muttered, looking down.

"Hmph. What do you have to say, witness?" Bladeston asked, his arms folded across his chest. "Did you do it?"

"D-Did you… Did you really do it, Felix?" the Judge asked, wide-eyed.

"… I… I…" Felix muttered again, and suddenly… burst into tears.

"Uh, Felix?" I asked, a little surprised.

(What the?! Felix is… crying? Well, that was unexpected!)

"Witness…" Bladeston said, shocked, "You mean to say—"

"Y-You're right…" Felix sniffed. "I did it… I accidentally killed the Big Prof… I didn't mean to! I… I wanted to ask him about the Feys, and turned the generator on… Then it happened. The Big Prof suddenly fell onto the window with a large impact! His head bled, and… and… I panicked! I didn't know what to do so I… I took the penholder and rolled it on the wound, to make it look like someone dealt a blow!"

"You rearranged the crime scene…" Bladeston said. "And you also forged evidence."

"Then I cleaned up the blood, got a magnum and shot at the window, and started tearing the books…" Felix continued with his confession, "I had to make it look like someone else did it… And then the idea hit me." He paused and blew his nose. "Two months ago, I made a sim modeled off that woman, Midori Turner. I decided to activate that sim, and planted the hologram in the crime scene, to make it look like she did it!"

"And… that was when Mr. Saltby took the picture?" the Judge asked.

Felix nodded, and continued, "At that time… I thought… I thought that I could pin the blame on her and… _get my revenge on her!_"

"WHAT?!" I said, "You… You wanted to get revenge on sis? Why?!"

"I'm an idiot for doing all that!" Felix yelled. "I'm no genius… I'm a horrible, pathetic weakling! I wasn't even able to protect her… Edna! I thought that I could release all my anger on Ms. Turner. If… If only I hadn't overheard that conversation… with the Big Prof… That incident scarred me for life… literally!"

"Conversation?" I asked. "Ah! You mean…"

"Yeah…" Felix said. "It was two months ago… when I learned about everything! Ms. Turner was talking to the Big Prof then, and I walked by. I heard them say my name, and eavesdropped. I swear I felt at my lowliest then. I learned that I was adopted, that my real father was poisoned to death and my mother abandoned me, and the reason that everyone in Kurain Village hated me was because…"

"You… You were adopted?!" the Judge exclaimed from the shock.

"Your real father was poisoned?!" I heard Eddy say. "W-Wait… Could it be—?"

(So this is how it ends…)

"I think I know what you mean," I said, and presented the magatama half that Eddy and I found. "You were the son of the would-be clan leader… However, when you were barely four years old, she died, and someone leaked the information all over Kurain that you were her son… Felix Fey."

"T-THAT'S!" Felix said when he saw the magatama half. "Where did you get that?!"

"I found it on Professor Sourceton's desk," I explained. "There's one thing you were wrong about, Felix: your mother didn't abandon you. She had intended to give you this magatama, to show that you were still her son, but for some reason, it got broken in half… Professor Sourceton found one half, and you found the other one."

"… I'm horrible," Felix muttered. "I couldn't control myself… I already killed one person, and almost killed another one!"

"Another one?" the Judge asked.

"He means me, Your Honor," Eddy said. "Y-Yesterday, Felix tried to shoot me…"

"YOU… YOU TRIED TO SHOOT A CHILD?!" the Judge yelled in shocked. "WHAT… WHY?!"

"I'm sorry!" Felix said, and his crying intensified. "I was out of control!"

"… Wow," I heard Eddy say. "I wanted Felix to confess, but I didn't think it would turn out like this!"

"What's done is done, though," Bladeston said coldly. "You killed Professor Bail Sourceton, rearranged the crime scene, framed someone else and almost shot a child! Hmph. That calls for capital punishment, don't you think so?"

"If I'm gonna get the Death Penalty… then so be it," Felix said, and looked at me, "But I wanna know just one thing! M-Mr. Turner… My parents' names!"

"Your parents' names?" I said. "Uh… Well… Wait! There's a book with a list of all the Fey Clan members—"

"Please… Lemme see it!" Felix pleaded, and I had no choice but to give him the book.

Heavy Book given to Felix.

"T-Thanks…" Felix said as he took one last gulp from his thermos before the bailiff took him away.

(I didn't expect it to end this way…)

"I feel sorry for Felix now," Eddy said. "Who knew that he had to go through all that?"

(I didn't think it was that tough for him… Sis was right. _I_ went through the same thing, too.)

"So how does your victory taste like, Mr. Turner?" I suddenly heard Bladeston say.

"Ah… well…" I tried to answer, but couldn't.

"Hmph. I have something to show you, Mr. Turner," Bladeston said, and took the thing I noticed earlier from his coat. It was… A SWORD!!!

"ACK!!!" I yelled. "WHAT'RE YOU GONNA DO WITH THAT—?!"

"MR. BLADESTON!!!" the Judge exclaimed, "Carrying of weapons inside this courtroom is forbidden—!"

"Oh, worry not, Your Honor!" Bladeston said, unbelievably, _smiling_. "It's a family heirloom."

"I see…" the Judge said. "Carry on!"

(GAH!!! YOUR HONOR, ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!)

"Griffin Turner…" Bladeston said, raising the sword, "You are…"

(NO!!! I'm too young to die!!!)

"You are now my worthy and noble rival!" Bladeston said, and pointed the sword at me.

(Say WHAT?!)

"I didn't think it was possible, but you actually beat me!" Bladeston continued, still holding the sword. "Hence, I now look upon you, not as a short, orange-haired child wearing a ridiculous yellow-green vest, but as an adult, and my noble rival, until I defeat you!" He put the sword back in its scabbard. "The next time we meet, I hope to see you object with the same fervor!"

"Oh, uh…" I said, relieved that Bladeston didn't stab me, "Thanks?"

(So I'm his rival now… I guess I haven't seen the last of those creepy eyes yet. :Shudder:)

"A… Ahem," the Judge said. "I think it's time for me to hand down my verdict. I find the defendant, Midori Turner:

**NOT GUILTY**

"That is all," the Judge said. "Court is now adjourned!"

BANG!

* * *

**April 16, 4:23 PM; District Court, Defendant Lobby**

"Hey, congrats, Griff!" Detective Razor said. "So was Eddy helpful?"

"Detective Razor!" Eddy said. "Ehehe… Sorry I ran away like that this morning!"

"Ah, no prob," Razor said.

"Griffin… You actually won!" Midori said. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks sis!" I said. "I promised you and Eddy that I'd win this case, and I kept it! See? You can always count on that!"

"Yeah, but it was kinda sad for Felix…" Eddy said.

"Yeah. I've been through the same thing," I said.

"Whaddya mean, Griff?" Eddy asked.

"I've been through the same stage Felix went through," I said. "I know what it feels like… The feeling that you're all alone, locked away in a cold, dark room and treated as if you were a monster… I've felt it too… I've felt what it was like to hate, to not trust, and to lose faith… I had no friends then, only enemies… It was a darkness deeper than night. It was loneliness that felt much worse than hell. But I was saved from that… when I found… _a friend_."

"Ouch," Eddy said. "That's deep."

"But that was 8 years ago, Griffin…" Midori said.

"I know," I replied. "And I was able to pay you back, sis!"

"… Thank you," Midori said, and smiled.

"Hey, hey, hey!!!" Eddy suddenly cut in, "Again with that _'8 years ago'_ thing? C'mon! We should all be celebrating, not reminiscing!!!"

(Again, Eddy ruins the emotional brother-sister moment… Hehe. That little tyke.)

"I agree with Eddy!" Razor said with his signature fox-smirk, and brought out his wallet. "This calls for some tacos! My treat!"

"ALRIGHT!!!" Eddy leaped in joy, "TACOS!!! I love tacos! Believe it!"

… Detective Razor treated us to tacos that night. Eddy wasn't lying when he said that he loved tacos. He was able to finish 54 of them in one sitting! Midori laughed when Eddy ate the last one with a flourish, trying to impress her. It had been a long time since I saw her laugh like that… Sis was carefree and happy again. She no longer looked tortured. I was relieved.

That night, I thought that I had passed the test, but it was only until the next morning that I actually would…

* * *

**April 17, 7:00 AM; Turner and Co. Law Offices**

(Ah… Another day…)

Eddy and I had gone to the office that day. Apparently, he had left a pack of gum there when we were escaping from Felix, and he wanted it back. When we got there, I was kinda surprised to see that Midori was there. She was standing in front of her desk.

"Hey sis, what's up?" I said when I saw Midori in the office.

"Oh, hello Griffin," Midori smiled, and moved back to show… a suitcase.

"H-Hey… What're you gonna do with that suitcase?" I asked.

"I… I'm leaving," Midori said.

"WHAT?!" Eddy and I said at the same time.

"What are you talking about, sis?" I asked. "Wh-Why are you leaving?"

"During yesterday's trial…" Midori said, "When Felix was confessing about how he wanted to get his revenge on me, I suddenly thought about it. I wondered why I stood in court, and how good of a defense attorney I was…" She shook her head. "Turns out I'm really not that good… If I hadn't been so careless during my conversation with Professor Sourceton two months ago… Felix would've never gone through that guilt trip. This case could've been prevented."

"B-But, it wasn't your fault, Ms. Midori!" Eddy reasoned.

"But still…" Midori said, "I played a part in it. I caused Felix to feel guilty, and that guilt made him do something unthinkable…"

"You mean…" I said, and looked at Eddy.

"Ms. Midori!!!" Eddy said, "I-It wasn't your fault that Felix tried to shoot me!"

"I'm afraid I can't just forget about that so easily," Midori said. "That's why I'm leaving… to go find myself… and find the reason why I am a _defense attorney_." She took her suitcase and turned to the door, sighing. "I'm going to miss this place… But I'll leave it in your capable hands, Griffin… Oh, and Eddy…"

(I don't believe it… Sis… You're seriously leaving?!)

"What is it, Ms. Midori?" Eddy asked.

"I can see how much you look up to Griffin as an older brother," Midori smiled. "That's why… From now on, you are his _Investigative Junior Partner_. I already filed in the request… You'll be investigating more cases with Griffin from now on, Eddy!"

"R-Really?" Eddy said. "Ms. Midori… Thanks!"

"Well, I better get going," Midori said, about to leave. She was frowning a bit, and I was sad internally, too. "I'll come back someday Griffin."

"Sis…" I said, trying to look at the bright side, "If you're really gonna leave… And I can't do anything about it… Then you should at least put on a smile!"

"W-What?" Midori asked.

"Smile, sis!" I said. "A defense attorney's gotta keep smiling, you know! You can wear that smile… the next time we meet!"

"Griffin…" Midori said, and finally smiled. "Thank you. I'll return someday, when I find what I'm searching for. I promise… You can count on that!"

"Hehe, that's my line," I said, as sis gave me a hug before leaving. "I'll really miss you, sis! Bye…"

"… Bye," Midori said with one last smile.

… She left, and I took a good look at the office. From then on in, sis had left it to me, and it was my responsibility to bring in as many clients and help as many people as sis did. I sat on the sofa and sighed.

"Hey Griff…" Eddy said, "You think Ms. Midori'll keep her promise?"

"She always keeps her promise, Eddy," I said, and looked at a small item sitting on top of the desk. Sis always kept her promise, so I knew she'd come back. I stood up and looked at the item that sis left and smiled.

It was a small gumball machine. The case closed with Midori's promise fulfilled.


	6. Digital Turnabout Day 1 and 2

Chapter Three, Part Three.

This chapter shows some more familiar Scientific Investigation skills, specifically, the Fingerprinting Test. I don't own that, er... the FBI, CIA, CSI, other detective departments, and Capcom do. There also happens to be another reason why Case 3 is called the "Digital Turnabout". Try to see if you can spot it. As always, please refer to the disclaimer because not everything in the story is owned by me... except the main characters.

As always, please read, comment, and criticize.

**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER THREE: DIGITAL TURNABOUT**

**Prologue:**

_Two shadowy figures walk along a dark hallway. _

_Resting against the walls are large machines with blinking lights. These machines have keypads on them, as well as USB Ports and monitors, though they aren't ordinary computers. Displayed on their monitors are different symbols and words: some of the monitors display bar graphs and pie charts, along with some percentages; others show 3-dimensional figures in the shape of humans, aliens, animals, guns and other items. Behind these machines are small cooling units, which prevent them from overheating. At the very back of these machines is a large electric cable, a series in fact, which all connect to the main generator._

_There are six cubicles along the hallway. Inside these cubicles are small round projectors, which light up and produce a hologram when activated. The cubicles are as dark as the rest of the room, and the lights are kept turned off even when someone enters them. This is so whoever enters can fully feel whatever videogame they are testing._

_This is the Virtual Reality Testing Room._

"_So what is it you wanna talk about?" one of the figures asks as they walk along._

"_I wanna talk about this new device I'm developing," the other figure, slightly taller than the first, responds. "I really think it'll work this time! All I need you to do is invest half the amount of all the company's earned on my project. I assure you it'll be worth it!"_

_The first figure stops, seemingly worried about what the second figure has just said._

"… _No, I can't do that!" the first figure shakes his head. "It's too risky… If your project fails—"_

"_What, you think my plan won't work?!" the second snaps, "Izzat what you're saying? That my project's gonna fail?"_

"_I didn't say that!" the first figure says. "I… I just don't wanna risk the stocks!"_

"_Oh, so that's your reason!" the second yells. "Your damn stocks!"_

"_Don't slander the fiats!" the first figure yells back._

"_SHUT UP!!!"_

……………

_In the same room, an hour later, a body is found. The cause of death: electrocution.

* * *

_

**Day One:**

**July 23, 5:00 PM; Turner and Co. Law Offices**

(:Sigh: … I haven't had a client in weeks…)

I stared at the office wall and yawned. It had been over two months since Midori left, and I had only been in two trials, both of which were incredible easy One-Day Trials for Theft. Some fairly new prosecutors handled both cases, and the contradictions weren't really that hard to find. I didn't even need to turn the Wahrheitron T-3 on! Even though I didn't like them when I first became a defense attorney, I was actually starting to miss taking murder cases.

"Aww man…" I said to myself, and looked at the small gumball machine sitting on top of the desk. "I'm not doing much of a good job, huh, sis—?"

"GRIFF!!!"

(That's Eddy's voice… Hmm… I wonder why he sounds so excited?)

I sat up and saw Eddy by the door, jumping around with three strips of cardboard in his hand.

"GRIFF!!!" Eddy said, waving the strips. "LOOK WHAT I GOT!!! LOOK AT 'EM, LOOK AT 'EM, LOOK AT 'EM!!!"

"Whoa, calm down, Eddy!" I said, and took a closer look at what Eddy was holding. "Hey… These are…"

"TICKETS TO G-34, THE ULTIMATE ALL-DAY AND ALL-NIGHT GAMING CONVENTION!!!" Eddy said. "I got one for you, me, and Detective Razor!!!"

"N-No way!!!" I said, awestruck. "How'd you get these?"

"Hehe!" Eddy smirked. "I had to pitch a tent in the middle of a line and waited for over 36 hours to get these, Griff! When the guy selling the tickets didn't wanna give 'em to me, I had to force him into doing so by showing him how Luminol Testing Fluid works! He was impressed, obviously, and viola!"

(Come to think of it… Eddy wasn't here yesterday. So he was out buying tickets for G-34… Wait. Did he just say that he _pitched a tent in the middle of a line_ and used Luminol Fluid just to get these tickets?! Whoa! Now that's what I call effort!)

"Sounds like you went through a lotta trouble for these!" I said, impressed. "You even used Luminol Fluid, huh?"

"Yep!" Eddy said, waving the tickets proudly. "I didn't think I'd ever use Luminol Fluid for stuff other than investigating… But hey! It worked!"

"Hehe, that's nice" I said, and asked Eddy, "When's the convention, anyway?"

"Actually, it's TONIGHT, Griff!" Eddy answered, and headed for the door all hyped up. "I was lucky enough to get these tickets, because G-34's gonna end tonight! These tickets are for the final night program of the convention, which is gonna last from 6 to 10 PM. C'mon! Let's go there already!"

"W-What?" I said, "It's tonight? What about the office, Eddy?"

"Aww, c'mon, Griff!" Eddy pouted. "G-34 is THE Ultimate Gaming Convention! It comes only once every two years! Tonight's the last night of the convention! _I gosh-darn pitched a tent in the middle of a line for it! _C'mon! We haven't even had a client in almost a month, let alone all day! I'm sure we can just close the office early!"

"Well… You've got a point," I admitted. "We've only had two cases for the past two months, and not a single person came in here all day… I guess it's okay if we go to G-34 for today…"

"ALRIGHT!!!" Eddy said, and jumped up in the air again. "Well, let's go! Detective Razor's already waiting in the car outside!"

(Ack! Quit yanking me by the collar—!!!)

* * *

**July 23, 6:00 PM; GaruruGame Media Center, Convention Room**

"WOW," I said as I looked at all the game exhibits inside the building. "… This really IS the Ultimate Gaming Convention!"

"See!" Eddy said, looking proud at being able to get tickets for the events. "Told ya it was a good idea to come here, Griff!"

"Y-Yeah…" I said, still awestruck at all the games and gaming devices exhibited.

"Okay! Time for some major game-buying!!!" Eddy said, and immediately headed to one of the booths showcasing new Spartan Games. "G-34 IS AWESOME!!!"

(So this is what I missed two years ago… Look at all these games!!!)

"Hehehe," Detective Razor said, "It's always so amusing to see Eddy get all hyped up over a new videogame. Lucky boy… I always wanted to go to G-34, but I was constantly busy with either investigations or police meetings!"

"Yeah, I was busy with law school, so I couldn't go to G-34 two years ago, too," I said. "So… This is the GaruruGame Media Center, huh?"

"Yep," Razor said with a small fox-grin. "GaruruGame's a pretty successful gaming company, so it's no surprise that the people who planned G-34 chose this place: the company's main headquarters."

"Main headquarters?" I asked.

"Mm-hmm," Razor nodded. "GaruruGame's got around ten branches all over the country, but this here Media Center's the focal spot. This is the place where all the games are created and all foreign games are localized… the _Virtual Reality Testing Room_ is located here as well! Even the CEO's for the individual branches meet here every three months or so I hear."

"Wow…" I said. "So… Does that mean that most of the games on display here were made by the GaruruGame Company?"

"I'd think so, yeah," Razor said. "Actually, the company's known for making some of the most graphically endearing—" He stopped mid-sentence, and suddenly turned to a booth showcasing a new shooter game, smirking with more glee than usual. "Aha! … Well, why don't ya look around a bit, Griff? I'll be over by the First-Person Shooter booths if you need anything!" He darted towards the booth and left me hanging for around two seconds.

(W-What?! Hey!)

"Huh?" I said, a little confused. "H-Hey! Wait! Detective Razor, what if I need to use the bathroom and get lost?"

"Oh! Right," Razor said, ran back to me, and handed me a guide map. "Here ya go! Now, like I said, if you need anything, listen for the cry of a Covenant Grunt eating plasma!" He then headed straight for the shooter games again.

(Uh… Riiiight. :Sweatdrop:)

Guide Map put in pocket.

(Well… I came all the way here and left the office… Might as well check some games out!)

I looked around for more than an hour. The GaruruGame Media Center was HUGE; I think I may have gone around in circles at least three times! I mean, the convention room alone was almost the size of a soccer field! It even looked slightly like one, with all of the windows held by reinforced steel frames and the somewhat-oblique shape of the room… Somewhere in the center, amidst all the videogame booths and exhibits, was a large steel disk, which sorta looked like a projector. Some plastic dividers surrounded it, so I thought it was something important.

The convention room was divided into three areas: exhibits for digital devices and gaming consoles were located to the extreme left; the game booths were in the center; and the "special franchises", which were game spin-offs and standalone character-based displays, were located to the extreme right. It was actually really interesting looking around the special franchises area, since I came across a bunch of people dressed up as videogame characters…

(Haha. They must be real fans! Hey! That guy's wearing a visor with glowing red lights… Hehe!)

… After buying some games and other stuff, I needed to use the bathroom. I checked the guide map that Detective Razor gave me, and followed it. I ended up exiting the convention room and found myself in the company's main lobby.

* * *

**July 23, 7:30 PM; GaruruGame Media Center, Main Lobby**

The lobby kinda looked like the one in the District Court, since there was a sofa, a potted plant, and a painting in there. One difference was that there was a large reception desk, and a blonde lady with tiny round glasses was sitting behind it. The lobby led to multiple hallways: one on the left, another in the center, and another on the right. Unfortunately, since the guide map wasn't horribly detailed, I needed to find the way to the bathroom on my own. I honestly had no idea which way to go, so I asked the lady minding the reception area for some help.

"Uh… Excuse me?" I said, lightly tapping the desk, "Could you show me which way the bathroom is?"

"Oh! Right…" the lady said with her eyes closed. "You must've come here for the G-34 Convention, right?"

"Uh-huh," I nodded, and asked again, "Uh… Which hallway leads to the bathroom?"

"Hmm…" the lady said, eyes still closed, "Well, you take the one on the right and follow it until you see an arrow, then turn left from there. You should see a door there…"

"Okay!" I said, turning to go. "Thanks!"

…………

I did what the lady told me to, and went through the hallway on the right. It was strangely dark there, and was kinda long. But when I finally saw the arrow the lady was talking about, I was a little confused to see that there was no place to turn left. The only way was to go right, and I followed that path, thinking that the lady must've just made a small mistake. I finally found a door, but it didn't look like an ordinary one. In fact, it was made of reinforced steel and had a keypad with glowing keys next to it. The keypad also had a Card Key slot and a small screen with a weird shape on it… _If that was really the door to the bathroom, then it must've been a really top-secret one!_

(… I don't think this is the right door… Maybe I should go back and—)

"OI!!! YOU THERE!!! THE ONE WITH THE ORANGE HAIR!"

I turned around and saw an angry-looking man with a bandanna tied around his head yelling, and he was headed straight towards me!

(GAH! I knew this wasn't the bathroom!)

"Just where do ya think you're going, eh?" the man said as he grabbed me by the arm. "That room's for authorized personnel only! Whaddya think you're doing, huh? Bah! You're probably one of those kids at the G-34 Gaming Convention, ain't ya? Think you can sneak in and take a peek at what the company's developing, right?! Why I oughtta teach you a good lesson for this!"

"Ack! I… I didn't know that door was off-limits, sir!" I panicked. "I… I just wanted to go to the bathroom! Honest!"

"Feh! Friggen liar!" the man snapped. "You fanboys these days… Always thinking you can get what you want! The company does the best it can to avoid leakage… And you darn noobs keep making our jobs harder and harder, don't ya?! You're just asking for an infraction point!!!"

"GAH!!! I'M SORRY!!!" I said. "I was really just looking for the bathroom!!! Please don't kick me!"

"Enough excuses!" the man said, but suddenly let go of my arm. "Grr… Damn noob! All right, fine! If you really wanted to use the bathroom, then you should've at least used your brain and went through the _hallway on the left and turned right_! Now scram!"

"ACK! SIR, YESSIR!!!" I said, and ran out of the hallway as fast as I could, fearing that the grumpy man would change his mind and chase after me! I wound up in the main lobby again, and went through the _correct_ hallway that time around. I finished with my business and returned to the convention room, trying not to think about what just happened.

(What a cranky old man! I definitely don't wanna run into that hothead again!)

* * *

**July 23, 7:45 PM; GaruruGame Media Center, Convention Room**

"Hey Griff!" Eddy called me over, holding some videogames in his left hand. "Where've ya been?"

"Uh… I just used the bathroom for a bit," I said.

"It took you 15 minutes to use the bathroom?" Eddy asked.

"… I got lost, okay?" I said, trying to brush it off. "Anyway… Did anything interesting happen when I was gone?"

"Well, they showed some new game trailers…" Eddy said, thinking. "And… I think some of the cosplayers went around and some people took photos of them… But hey! You came back just in time!"

"I did?" I asked.

"Yeah!" Eddy said. "According to the convention program, they're gonna show an hour-long movie based on one of GaruruGame's best-selling games!"

"A movie?" I said. "Hmm… That sounds kinda cool! What's it about, anyway?"

"I dunno!" Eddy said, and rubbed his head sheepishly. "All I know is, the movie features some of the most advanced graphics… and it's a hologram!"

"H-Hologram?" I asked, suddenly remembering about the case over two months ago. I brushed off the thought and just said, "Uh… sounds fun."

"Well, be better get to our seats then!" Eddy said, and went towards the center of the convention room, where the large steel disk I saw earlier was located. I followed him, and noticed that the area had been filled with around 50 chairs, wherein a large people were already sitting. The plastic dividers surrounding the projector earlier had also been removed. I saw Eddy sitting in the second row, next to Detective Razor. I took my seat as well, and the room darkened.

"Oho! Special effects!" I heard Detective Razor say.

A few seconds after the room darkened, the projector lighted up, and a large hologram began to hover over the crowd. It showed some 3D monsters chasing each other in a jungle, and shifted to an awesome battle scene, where the monsters released fireballs and lightning bolts at each other! We were all impressed. The graphics really were advanced and served as some good eye candy!

"Nice graphics!" I couldn't help but shout out after seeing the battle scene. Everybody seemed to think so as well, since we all went "Ooh" and "Ah" for the next hour or so… When the movie finally ended, we all left our seats with large grins. Even I felt that it was completely worth it to abandon the office then!

"That… was… AWESOME!!!" Eddy shouted enthusiastically. "G-34 is, and forever will be, the Ultimate Gaming Convention!"

"I agree! I had to skip a briefing for this, but it was worth it!" Detective Razor said, and turned to me. "So! What did you think of it, Griff?

"Actually… I thought it was awesome, too!" I admitted, and Detective Razor smirked.

"Ha! I thought so," Razor said. "Did you buy any games, Griff?"

"Yeah!" I said. "In fact, I have them in my— Wait, I've got them in… Uh-oh!"

"… I don't like that 'uh-oh', Griff!" Eddy said. "What happened to the games you bought?!"

"I… I musta left them in the bathroom or something!" I said.

"You WHAT?!" Eddy yelled. "Well you've gotta get them back, Griff! Come on! Let's look for your games!"

"Huh?" I said, "B-But they were probably in there for more than an hour already—!"

"Aww, come on, Griff!" Eddy said, "You can't let good videogames go to waste like that! Let's go!"

Eddy ran off into the main lobby and went through the hallway on the left. Detective Razor shrugged and we had no choice but to follow him… When we finally got to the bathroom, Eddy came out holding the small plastic bag full of videogames, looking relieved.

"Here you go, Griff!" Eddy said, panting, and gave me my games. "Lucky for you they were still in there! Don't leave games behind just like that next time!"

"Ah! Thanks, Eddy," I said, taking my games. "Well, I guess we better—"

_AAAAAAIIYEEAAHH!!! THIS… THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!!!_

The three of us suddenly heard a loud shriek coming from one of the other hallways! Detective Razor hurried over to the main lobby and ran ahead of us. Eddy and I followed.

* * *

**July 23, 9:00 PM; GaruruGame Media Center, Main Lobby**

Back at the main lobby, I saw that quite a number of people had heard the scream as well, and were talking amongst themselves about what just happened. Eddy looked confused, and tried to find Detective Razor.

"Griff!" Eddy yelled. "W-What's going on?!"

"I don't know!" I said. "Sounds like something went seriously wrong, though!!!"

All of a sudden, the lights went out. I heard people gasping, both in the lobby and the convention room. The air was tense, and the people were getting noisier. They were beginning to panic. I heard a few gasps and screams, and realized that Eddy was missing. I tried to look for him, but it was pitch-black then! I suddenly thought of something that would explain what happened… After a few minutes of confusion, the lights went on again. Everyone was still in disorder when the P.A. suddenly sounded, confirming what I thought had happened: a murder had taken place!

Rather than doing what the P.A. told them to do and stay still, the crowd panicked even more! In fact, they were beginning to become uncontrollably wild! I knew I had to get away from the horde of scared people and find Eddy and Detective Razor… I darted towards the only place that I could go: the hallway on the right. Once I got there, I saw Eddy standing outside the room with the metal door that I almost entered an hour earlier. The door was open, and Detective Razor came out of the room a few seconds later. He shook his head.

"Bad news…" Razor said, "Someone's been murdered, alright… The body's in there, in the Virtual Reality Testing Room. Looks like he was electrocuted to death!"

"WHAT?!" I yelled. "Electrocuted?!"

"This isn't good," Razor said. "That power outage's probably scared the heck out of the people here! And now this…" He turned to me and Eddy. "Okay, here's what you gotta do… I already called for some police backup… They should arrive here in a few minutes. Eddy! Griff! I need you two to calm the crowd down before there are any more casualties, okay?"

"O-Okay…" Eddy said, and the two of us went back to the main lobby. Everybody was still panicking, just like before. Just as Eddy and I were about to start calming the people down, the lobby doors burst open. The police came in, and the crowd panicked even more!

… It was a rough night. It took well over 30 minutes for the police to calm the people down. Once they were stable, the people left the building. Detective Razor went back to the lobby and told me and Eddy that someone under suspicion of executing the murder was apprehended, even though there wasn't enough evidence yet, and was already sent to the Detention Center. He told us that the investigation was already taking place, and that we should return the next day…

(Oh, boy… This doesn't look good!)

* * *

**Day Two:****July 24, 8:30 AM; Detention Center, Visitor's Room**

Eddy and I went to the Detention Center that morning so we could talk to the person accused of murder before they were taken in for questioning. Eddy insisted that I defend that person, and he asked the security guard to let us talk to the guy. The person came in, and, to my complete and utter dismay, it was none other than the grumpy old fart who threw a fit when I almost entered the wrong room the night before.

"Uh… You sure this is a good idea, Eddy?" I said, sweatdropping. "You really think we should talk to this guy?"

"Huh?" Eddy said. "Whaddya mean?"

I was sure it was the man I ran into the night before. He had the same outfit, and had the same bandanna covering his forehead. He also had the same baggy eyes of eternal discontentment, which stared angrily into your soul.

"Feh! Well, if isn't the friggen noob!" the man sneered. "Well? What is it now?! You even brought a nooblet with you, huh?"

(Oh yeah… That's him, all right. :Urk:)

"Uh, Griff?" Eddy asked with a look of confusion in his eyes. "You know this guy?"

"Uh… Well…" I tried to answer, but was cut off.

"Heh! That little noob?" the man interrupted, "I dunno exactly who he is, but I caught him red-handed trying to sneak into the Virtual Reality Testing Room!"

"You WHAT?!" Eddy yelled at me, wide-eyed.

"I told you!" I said to the man, annoyed, "I got lost!"

"Well, whatever!" the man said, and crossed his arms over his chest. "I guess I shouldn't have entered that room anyway… At least, not if I knew that THIS was gonna happen! I mean, honestly! Me? Murder someone? Yeah right!"

"So you've got a trumped-up charge against you, huh?" Eddy asked the man.

"Yeah!" the man said, irritated. "But what's it to you, anyway? You damn fanboys are probably just gonna laugh at this!"

The man's attitude was seriously getting on my nerves then, but Eddy insisted that I defend him in court anyway. No matter how many times I tried to tell Eddy that I just didn't wanna defend someone who kept insulting me like that, Eddy eventually won me over, and I had no choice. I tried to talk to the man again, but he wouldn't listen, and just kept muttering to himself… I decided it was time to show him what I had. I presented my Attorney's Badge.

"Huh? Whazzat?" the man asked, looking at me suspiciously. "Izzat a piece of candy? Well I ain't interested!"

"Actually, it's an Attorney's Badge," I said, sweatdropping. "My names' Griffin Turner, and I'm a defense attorney… I dunno why I'm doing this, but I'm going to defend you in court."

"… You're joking, right?" the man said with a blank face, followed by one of complete shock. "You… You're a defense attorney?! Oh, jeez! I thought you were just a 12-year-old or something!"

(Are you implying… that I am SHORT?!)

"So you're a defense attorney…" the man said, suddenly becoming a lot calmer. "Well, in that case, things change! Heh! You shoulda told me about that earlier! All right, noob— I mean, Mr. Lawyer! I'll let you defend me in court! The name's Porter: Sander Porter!"

"Okay…" I said, surprised at Porter's sudden change in attitude. "So, uh… Mr. Porter… Exactly what happened last night? I mean, why were you arrested?"

"I have no friggen idea!" Porter said. "All I remember last night was entering the Virtual Reality Testing Room with Fanners!"

"Fanners?" Eddy asked.

"Oh, right… Toby Fanners," Porter said, "That's the guy who got killed… But I didn't do it! I swear I didn't! We both went into the Virtual Reality Testing Room, sure, but all we did was talk about stuff!"

"And around what time was that?" I asked.

"I think it was around 7:50 to 8 PM," Porter answered, thinking a bit. "We were just walking along for a while, talking about the company."

"Did anything else happen then?" I asked.

"Uh…" Porter said, sweating a little. "Nothing else happened when we were in there!"

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! _

(What the… The Wahrheitron's beeping!)

"Say, what the heck is that friggen beeping sound?" Porter asked. "It's annoying!"

"Gah! Uh, it's nothing…" I said, trying to hide the blue watch on my left hand with glowing yellow-green lights from Porter's view.

"Well, anyway…" Porter said, "That's all I can really say… I hear the trial's tomorrow, so I guess that means you two are gonna have to do the work finding the evidence, eh, Mr. Lawyer and… nooblet?"

"Uh, yeah… I guess," Eddy said.

(Oh, great. The trial's tomorrow… As always, there's zero prep time.)

"Well, if you're going back to the Media Center…" Porter said, and handed me a note, "You're gonna need this to go through the authorized personnel sections!"

Letter of Introduction added to the Court Record.

Eddy and I left the Detention Center and made our way to GaruruGame Media Center. It took 85 minutes to get there, but we made it.

* * *

**July 24, 10:15 AM; GaruruGame Media Center, Main Lobby**

The police had already started the investigation. Some of the investigators were in the main lobby, but I assumed most of them were in the Virtual Reality Testing room, where the murder occurred. I noticed that the lady I met the night before, the one minding the front desk, was there. One of the officers had just finished talking to her, and she looked at me and Eddy with a bit of confusion.

"Hi there!" Eddy said to the lady. "I was wondering if you could—"

"Sorry, but due to the incident last night, GaruruGame Media Center is temporarily closed to the public," the lady said, her eyes closed. "If you wish to purchase some games, then please go to one of the other GaruruGame company branches in the area."

"Ah! No, we're not here to buy games!" I said. "I'm Griffin Turner, and this is Eddy Skye. I'm a defense attorney, and we're here to investigate."

"Investigate?" the lady said, "Oh! Ah, you mean you're Mr. Porter's defense team, and you're here to gather evidence for the trial, right?"

"Uh… Yeah…" I said, and presented the Letter of Introduction. "Eddy and I were wondering if we could go into the restricted areas; you know, to gather evidence?"

"Sure!" the lady answered, taking the note. "If you need any help, just ask me anything you want! Oh, yes, before I forget… My name is Sienna Birchwood; receptionist for GaruruGame Media Center."

Letter of Introduction given to Ms. Birchwood.

"Well, thanks for allowing us special entry, Ms. Birchwood!" Eddy said. "Oh yeah! Since we're here… Is it okay if Griff and I asked you some questions?"

"Of course," Birchwood said. "Go ahead and ask me anything you like!"

"Okay then…" I said, "Ms. Birchwood, how about telling us about yourself first? I mean, what do you do for the company?"

"All right, let's see…" Birchwood said, thinking, "Well, as I've already said, I work here as a receptionist. I primarily sit behind the front desk, welcome people who come in, and assist them. Actually, I've been doing that for around ten years already… It can be tiring, sure, but since I work for GaruruGame, I must always work with fervor!"

"Hmm… So, what about the company itself?" Eddy asked. "Could you tell us more about it?"

"Oh, yes," Birchwood answered. "GaruruGame started out as a small company selling videogames… It soon grew into a massive company, which created, tested, localized, and distributed its own games. Right now, the company is quite successful, with the recent construction of the Virtual Reality Testing Room, or the VRT Room… However, I'm afraid the incident last night might be bad for the company…"

"You mean… the murder?" Eddy asked.

"That's right," Birchwood nodded. "Actually, it's already causing quite a scandal as it is! See, the murder victim was… well, he's one of the company's high-ranking employees… a company administrator, in fact! Mr. Toby Fanners…"

(So the victim, Toby Fanners, was a company administrator…)

"Is it okay if I asked you about what happened last night, Ms. Birchwood?" I asked. "What happened before the murder took place?"

"Well, I remember YOU," Birchwood said. "You were asking for directions to the bathroom… I answered you, and you went through the hallway on the right, yet suddenly returned to the lobby a few minutes later and went to the hallway on the left. I remember seeing Mr. Porter as well. He looked angry, but he went back through the hallway on the right. I saw Mr. Fanners after that, too… That's all I remember."

"Mr. Porter and Mr. Fanners entered the VRT Room at the same time, right?" I asked.

"To be honest, I don't know," Birchwood shook her head, eyes still closed.

"Well, thanks for answering our questions anyway, Ms. Birchwood!" Eddy said. "It's okay for me and Griff to go to the VRT Room now, right?" Birchwood nodded. Eddy and I made our way to the VRT Room after that. The large metallic door was wide open, so we just went in.

* * *

**July 24, 10:27 AM; GaruruGame Media Center, Virtual Reality Testing Room**

(So this is what it's like in here…)

The VRT Room was actually just a long hallway with some cubicles on opposite sides, facing each other. It was really dark in there, but there was just enough light coming from the weird machines resting on the wall for me and Eddy to see. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough light to see what was exactly inside the cubicles. After a few minutes of walking, Eddy spotted something on the floor.

It was the outline of the body, facedown on the floor.

"This must be where Mr. Fanners was killed," Eddy said. "I bet it was really scary… Getting electrocuted in a dark place like this."

"Y-Yeah," I said, suddenly getting an eerie feeling. "S-Scary…"

"_It's a lot scarier if you were attacked from behind!"_

"GAAAH!!!" I yelled, and jumped up a few inches in shock. I looked behind me, and saw Detective Razor, a flashlight pointed at his face.

"DETECTIVE RAZOR!!!" Eddy said, "Don't go scaring us like that! This entire room's dark and creepy enough as it is!"

"Hehe, sorry about that," Razor said, and turned the flashlight off. "Well, welcome to the scene of the crime. To make up for scaring you guys, I'll tell ya some stuff about the murder. Whaddya guys wanna know about it?"

"Well, for starters…" I said, "Do you have the Autopsy Report yet?"

"Ah, not yet, Griff," Razor shook his head. "The blackout last night caused a few problems, so the autopsy's still ongoing at the Coronary Department… But I've got something else that might help." He took out a colored photo from his pocket and gave it to me. "Here's an extra print of the snapshot of the body. It's really dark, but you can still get a good view of the victim facedown on the floor."

I took a good look at the photo Detective Razor just gave me. It really was dark, but the body was still visible. The victim was a slightly overweight man with black hair and a bandage on each face cheek, and he was wearing a pair of orange goggles on his neck. He was wearing ordinary "business clothes", too. I wondered where the murder weapon, which had to be some sort of electric conductor, was in the picture…

Crime Photo added to the Court Record.

"I bet you're wondering…" Razor said, "About where the electric conductor is." I nodded. "Judging from the amount of electricity the victim got into his system, I'd say the murder weapon was an electric cable. There are a lot of 'em in here, actually, so we haven't found out which one yet."

"So, since the murder weapon hasn't been found yet…" I said, "That means that the real murderer's unknown yet, right?"

"I wish I could answer 'yes', but I can't," Razor said, and presented a pair of orange goggles, the same ones that the victim was wearing in the photo. "There were fingerprints found on the victim's chest and goggles, and they belong to the defendant, Sander Porter. Looks like he was shoved into something before he was electrocuted, and that knocked him out… until the electric shock finished him off."

Fanners' Goggles added to the Court Record.

(Fingerprints… Ones that are in the position of shoving someone, too… That can't be good!)

"Wait!" Eddy suddenly said, and opened his backpack. "Since Mr. Porter's fingerprints were found… That means there must be _other_ fingerprints in here as well!"

"Hey, you're right!" I agreed. "There have gotta be other fingerprints in here, too!"

"True…" Razor said, and smirked. "But unfortunately we haven't looked into the fingerprints yet… I'll just leave that to you and Eddy."

"H-Huh?" I asked.

"Okay! It's time for some Scientific Investigation!" Eddy said enthusiastically, and took out a small powder jar and a fluffy brush from his backpack. "We can look for fingerprints with this, Griff! It's a special Fingerprinting Set with extra adhesive aluminum flake powder!"

(A Fingerprinting Set? Cool!)

"Ah, but how do we know whose fingerprints are who's?" I asked Eddy.

"Actually, I can help with that," Razor cut in, and gave Eddy a small machine that looked a lot like a calculator. "This is a Fingerprint Match-finder. When you talk to someone, it'll automatically scan that person's hand and give you his or her fingerprint data. The fingerprints'll get saved in the memory, and you can check which ones belong to who."

"Alright!" Eddy said. "Thanks, Detective Razor! Okay, Griff! You can put these in the Court Record now!"

Fingerprinting Set added to the Court Record.

Fingerprint Match-finder added to the Court Record.

"Oh yeah, before I forget…" I said, "Detective Razor, who's the prosecutor for tomorrow's trial?"

"Haha, as if you need to ask, Griff," Razor said, and smirked. "It's your good ole' buddy, ole' pal, Prosecutor Bladeston!"

(… Somehow, I knew. :Urk:)

"Bladeston, huh?" I said, "Does he… Uh, still have that sword with him?"

"From what I've heard, yeah," Razor replied. "And, yeah, he still thinks of you as his 'noble and worthy rival'. He's already won 20 more cases in the past months and he STILL says that he hasn't had enough!"

"20 CASES?!" I said. "Man, he really is a Prosecuting Speed Demon, isn't he?"

"Uh-huh," Razor said, smirking again. "It's probably got something to do with his eyes…"

(20 Cases in 2 months… Bladeston, you freaky weird prosecutor! Wait… Did Detective Razor just say something about "eyes"—?)

"Alright, I guess you two can investigate this room now," Razor said. "Now, I'm gonna go search the building for some witnesses. Eddy! As always, if you find something, give me some notes, okay?"

"Yessir!" Eddy said as Detective Razor left the room. "Well, we should start our investigation now, Griff!"

"Right!" I said.

**INVESTIGATION**

There was a lot of stuff inside the VRT Room to examine, but I decided to start looking into the more obvious ones first. First, Eddy and I checked the cubicles that were inside the room. The interior was pretty dark, but I could see something inside. It looked like a metallic disk: a projector, just like the one I saw inside the convention room. Unfortunately, the cubicle doors were locked, and needed a special Card Key to open, so Eddy and I had to move on to the other stuff inside the VRT Room.

Next, we checked the large computer-like machines resting against the wall. There really wasn't anything interesting on them, so we decided to move on. After that, we checked the back of the machines. There were some small fan-like things on them, rotating. I didn't know what they were, though…

"Uh… What are these?" I asked.

"They don't look like it, but I'm guessing that these fans are _cooling units_," Eddy replied. "Y'know, so the machines won't overheat?"

"Cooling units, huh?" I said, and took a closer look. "Oh! Hey, there's a large cable at the very back of this thing!"

"Really? Lemme see!" Eddy said, and leaned towards the machine. "Hmm… Looks like the main electric current that powers these machines goes through this cable… Look! There're some more of 'em on the other machines as well!"

"You're right!" I said. "Looks like a parallel circuit to me… All these cable connect to that large battery-ish thing."

"That's probably the main generator," Eddy said, looking at the cylindrical metal object with a switch located in a corner of the room, where all the cables connect. "None of these cables look broken to me, though… I wonder which one was used to electrocute Mr. Fanners?"

"Beats me," I said, shrugging. "But at least we've found something important, right?"

"Right!" Eddy answered with a grin. "We can think about the murder weapon later… The Autopsy Report's not even done yet, anyway!"

Main Generator added to the Court Record.

"Hey, wait…" I said, and pointed to something on the main generator. "Is… Is that a handprint?"

"Hey, you're right, Griff!" Eddy said. "That's a handprint, alright! Now all we need to do is find out who it belongs to!"

**FINGERPRINT TEST EXAMINATION**

"Okay, Griff!" Eddy said, "Let's see who this fingerprint belongs to… You know how to use aluminum flake powder, right?"

"Uh…" I said, "I dunno… That stuff might go up my nose…"

"Haha, no, it won't!" Eddy smiled, and handed me the brush for fingerprinting. "Fingerprinting's actually pretty easy; just sprinkle a little of the powder on the handprint, and when it's completely covered, blow the powder away!"

"Blow?" I asked.

"Blow!" Eddy said, and demonstrated it. "Like this! See, the powder won't go up your nose at all! Go on, Griff!"

"Okay, if you say so…" I said, and did what Eddy told me to do. I sprinkled some of the aluminum flake powder on the handprint, and blew on it. The prints weren't visible enough, and Eddy told me to apply some more powder, and try again. I did what he said, and sprinkled more powder on the handprint. It looked thick enough to me, so I blew the excess off, and… Bingo! I found a clear print!

"Alright!" Eddy said. "Good job, Griff! Now let's see whose fingerprints these are…"

Eddy then handed me the Fingerprint Match-finder. There was already some data stored on it: there was information on Detective Razor, Sander Porter, Toby Fanners, and Sienna Birchwood's fingerprints. Eddy told me to choose a fingerprint that resembled the one we found the most. It had a slightly crooked counterclockwise spiral pattern, and leaned to the left. There was only one print that resembled it, and I pressed the "Find Match" button.

The Fingerprint Match-finder began scanning the print, and compared it to the one I chose. After a few seconds, I found out I was right. The fingerprint that we found belonged to… Sander Porter.

Main Generator information updated.

Porter's Fingerprint added to the Court Record.

"Uh-oh…" I said, "Looks like the handprint's Mr. Porter's…"

"That doesn't mean anything bad yet, Griff!" Eddy said. "Mr. Porter probably just did a check on the cables, or turned the main generator off!"

(Well… I guess he's right… I hope. :Gulp:)

**END FINGERPRINT TEST EXAMINATION**

"Looks like that's all we can find in here for now," Eddy said.

"Uh-uh," I agreed. "But I think we should look around the building some more… In case we find some more evidence."

"Evidence outside the crime scene?" Eddy asked.

"Yeah," I said, "Actually… Remember when we were at the Detention Center? The Wahrheitron suddenly beeped after Porter said something. I think he was hiding something… He and Fanners did something else while they were here… and I don't think it was something good, too."

"You mean…" Eddy said, "You think that Mr. Porter did it?"

"No, that's not it!" I shook my head. "I just think that he's hiding something…"

"Well, we're gonna need some more evidence for that, then!" Eddy said. "Okay, Griff! Let's check the other rooms in this building for some clues!"

* * *

**July 24, 11:30 AM; GaruruGame Media Center, Main Lobby**

Eddy and I returned to the main lobby after we had finished investigating in the VRT Room. We needed to check the other rooms in the building as well, and asked Ms. Birchwood for some directions.

"Hmm… So you need to search the other rooms?" she said, and brought out a piece of paper. "Well, then you're going to need this. This is a guide map for floors 2 to 6 of the building… This is all I can give you, though, since floors 7 to 10 are prohibited areas, even with special permission."

"Oh, that's okay," I said. "We just need to check all the rooms that Mr. Porter and Mr. Fanners have been in for the last 24 hours."

"Then I suggest you go to the _Meeting Room_ and _Employee Lounge_," Birchwood said. "Both are on the fourth floor, and they aren't hard to miss."

"What about their individual offices, Ms. Birchwood?" I asked.

"Both Mr. Porter and Mr. Fanners' offices are on the sixth floor," Birchwood answered. "I think Mr. Fanners' office is open, but Mr. Porter kept his office locked all afternoon yesterday, and unfortunately, I don't have a spare Card Key for it…"

(Mr. Porter's office is locked, huh? Ah well, guess we'll find a way around that later.)

"Thanks for the guide map anyway!" Eddy said.

Guide Map (Floors 2-6) added to the Court Record.

"Guess we should go up," I said, and looked around. "Hmm… I don't see any stairs."

"There's an elevator over there," Eddy said, pointing to an elevator in one of the far corners of the lobby. "Let's go!"

Eddy ran over to the elevator. I followed. He pressed the "Up" button, and the elevator doors opened. We went inside, and I pressed the button for the fourth floor. We went up, and a few minutes later, wound up in a hallway on the fourth floor. There were some small office areas in there, but there were also two large rooms, almost adjacent to each other. Both of the large rooms were located near the end of the hallway. One was bigger than the other, and the door to it was closed. The larger room had a plate on the door saying "Meeting Room"; the smaller one had a plate saying "Employee Lounge".

"Where should we go in, first, Griff?" Eddy asked.

"Uh… I don't think we should go in the meeting room yet," I said. "Looks like somebody's still using it. That means we have to go to the employee lounge first."

* * *

**July 24, 11:40 AM; GaruruGame Media Center, Employee Lounge**

(Doesn't look like anybody's here…)

The employee lounge was kinda long. Inside was a lengthy table, placed in the middle of the room. Placed on top of it were a few documents, but there were mostly empty coffee mugs and half-eaten donuts on plates, most likely from the day before. There were two sofas in the room, both of which were resting against a wall next to two potted plants. One of the sofas had a newspaper on top of it. On the other side of the room, there were four individual work desks with computers on top. Under each desk was a trashcan; one of them was overflowing with crumpled paper. Resting on the far wall were some bookshelves, and next to these bookshelves was a divider. Behind the divider were four beds with a computer beside each one: they must've been for employees working the night shift.

"So this is the employee lounge…" Eddy said. "How come I don't see any employees, then?"

"I dunno," I said, "I wondered about that, too. I mean this place is pretty empty right now."

"So… What are we looking for again?" Eddy asked.

"We just need to find something related to either the defendant or the victim," I said. "But I don't think there're that many clues here."

"Guess we'll have to look—" Eddy said, but stopped mid-sentence. "Hey… Griff, there's someone in here!"

Eddy pointed to one of the beds behind the divider. There was a girl there, and it looked like she was hiding under the bed! She looked at least 16 years old, and was kinda surprised to see us. She had a wad of bubblegum in her mouth, which she blew into small bubbles every now and then. The girl had brown hair resting on her shoulders, though most of her head was covered by the light purple beanie she was wearing. I actually wondered what that girl was going there… She didn't look like an employee to me.

"Uh… Who are you?" I asked.

"…" The girl said nothing, and suddenly ran out of the room!

(Ack! She ran away!)

"H-Hey! Wait!" Eddy said, and chased after her, but came back a few seconds later, sighing, "Man, that girl's fast! It's like she suddenly disappeared!"

"Huh… I wonder what she was doing in here," I said, thinking. "Think she's an employee or something?"

"I dunno," Eddy said. "Maybe she's a relative of an employee here? Either way, there's nobody in here now."

"… I guess we should just start looking around," I shrugged, and tried to look for something.

**INVESTIGATION**

Looking for clues in the employee area was harder than I thought. I mean, the place seemed pretty normal, and nothing seemed out of place in there. Everything in the room was in proper order, too, save for the messy table full of documents and donut leftovers. We decided to check the table last, though, and started with the four work desks.

"Employee work desks with computers on top…" I said, "I guess these must be for people working overtime?"

"There's a trashcan beside each one," Eddy said, and bent over one, "Nothing but crumpled papers in here, though."

"How about the beds behind the divider?" I asked.

"… Nope. Nothing in here, either," Eddy shook his head.

"Aww, man…" I said. "So it looks like there are virtually no clues in here, huh?"

We moved on to the long table, the only messy thing in the room.

"Looks like the only thing we can check in here's this table," Eddy said, and started probing through the documents. "Well, here goes nothing!"

"Eddy! D-Don't touch those!" I said. "Those are company documents! We might get in trouble!"

"Don't worry about it, Griff!" Eddy smirked, and continued with his search. "There's gotta be something in here… Aha! Check this out, Griff!"

"Eddy! I really don't think you should— Ow! Okay, okay, lemme see it!" I said as Eddy shoved the item he found onto me anyway.

Apparently, the thing Eddy found was a Card Key: Porter's, in fact. It had his picture, an angry-looking one as usual, on the front, and next to it was his name. On the back of the card was the weird black film thing that was scanned by the electronic lock that the card was to be inserted in.

"Hehe! See? No we can go take a look in Mr. Porter's office!" Eddy said.

(I hope you know what you're doing, Eddy…)

Card Key added to the Court Record.

Eddy and I exited the employee lounge after that. I noticed that the door to the meeting room was still closed, and thought that someone must still be in there. Either way, Eddy and me couldn't go in there yet, so we took the elevator to the sixth floor to check out Porter's office.

The sixth floor had more rooms in it, compared to the previous one Eddy and I had been in. In fact, the hallway was lined with rooms that we had no idea which one to go in first. None of the doors were labeled, so it took the two of us a good 30 minutes finding out which ones belonged to either to Porter or Fanners. Finally, we found what we were looking for, and inserted the Card Key into Porter's key-reader.

(Looks like this is the one…)

:Click:

(Okay! It opened!)

* * *

**July 24, 12:32 PM; GaruruGame Media Center, Porter's Office**

Porter's office was smaller than I had expected it to be. It was just a small room with a desk, chair, and a computer. There was a small trashcan under the desk, but besides that, his office seemed sorta… dead.

"… This is an office?" I said, staring at the small room blankly. "It looks kinda… deserted."

"I don't think Mr. Porter uses this office much, too," Eddy said, and ran his finger through the desk. "Eww… It's dusty in here!"

"I'm not even sure if that's a desk or a fossil!" I said. "But seriously now… We gotta look for something in here that can make Porter tell the truth about what really happened when he and Fanners were both inside the VRT Room."

"Do you really think we'll find something, Griff?" Eddy asked.

"I dunno, but it's worth a shot!" I said.

"Okay… If you say so…" Eddy said. "But there really isn't much to check in here, you know."

Eddy was right: there really was nothing to check. The desk was empty and way too dusty; the computer was dusty as well, but still looked functional, even though we couldn't turn it on; and the chair didn't have anything on it as well, except a folded towel… And then it hit me. Why on earth was there a folded towel on a chair inside a seemingly abandoned office?

I took the folded towel, and opened it. There were two items inside… One was a UMD Case, and the other was a crumpled-up photo. Both were pretty suspicious, but the photo grabbed my attention a little bit more.

In the photo were three people: one was Sander Porter, who was, strangely enough, _smiling_ in the picture; another was Toby Fanners, who was standing in the middle wearing his orange goggles and had a wide grin on, camouflaging the bandages on his face; and the third person was a woman in a midriff with black hair, parted into concave formations on both sides of her face. I couldn't tell where the location in the picture was, though. It looked like there were some game cases arranged on a shelf behind the three people, but other than that, the setting left me confused.

"Hey! That's Mr. Porter and Mr. Fanners in that photo!" Eddy said. "But… who's that other woman?"

"I dunno, but this looks important!" I said, and put both the UMD Case and the photo in the Court Record.

UMD Case added to the Court Record.

Fanners Team Photo added to the Court Record.

"That's all we're gonna get from this place," I said. "Okay, Eddy, let's go check Fanners' office next!"

"Okay!" Eddy said, and we left Porter's office.

…………

Strangely enough, when we got to Fanners' office, the police were already there, and didn't allow the two of us to go in. Eddy asked one of the officers why, and he told him that they found something weird… The officer didn't dwell on that subject too much, though, since a tall red-haired woman with a part of her hair covering her left eye suddenly came out of the office.

"Well, did you search everything thoroughly, officer?" the woman asked the officer.

"We're trying, ma'am," the officer replied, "But the detective heading this investigation isn't here right now, so we're not sure…"

"Keep trying then!" the woman said. "I can't let this case go ignored like this! The company's name is at risk, after all!"

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" the officer saluted, intimidated by the woman, and went back inside Fanners' office.

(Whoa… That is one strict woman…)

"Uh… Excuse me?" Eddy tried to talk to the woman, but ended up getting unnoticed. "Hello? I'm trying to talk to you, ma'am!"

The woman still didn't look at Eddy, so I tried talking to her, "H-Hey, could we talk to you for a bit?" She still didn't look at us. "Uh…"

"Hey, what gives?" Eddy suddenly said. "Why won't you look at us?!"

"Hmm… Oh!" the woman finally said, and turned to our direction, "Sorry, I didn't notice you two down there… I thought I was only hearing things… I don't normally look down unless I drop something and have to pick it up, you know."

(… Did she just call us SHORT?!)

"Uh… Okay…" I said, "D-Do you mind if we asked you a few questions?"

"Sorry, but you can't," the woman said, and glared at me and Eddy suspiciously. "Frankly, I do believe that you kids shouldn't even be here. The GaruruGame Media Center's closed to the public for today, because of the 'incident' last night… Or did that incompetent Birchwood forget and let you in here anyway? Hmph. I guess she just doesn't get it, now does she?"

(I'm not a kid, damn it! Grr… Why didn't my growth spurt come when I reached adolescence?)

"Uh, actually, we got special permission," I said, and the woman eyed us suspiciously… again. "I'm a defense attorney, and I'm representing the defendant, Mr. Porter, in court tomorrow. I'm here to gather evidence for the trial, so…"

"Evidence?" the woman frowned, "That's funny… Unless the law suddenly changed, I do believe that is should be _prosecuting attorneys_, and not defense lawyers, who can go around and look for evidence at the crime scene…"

"Uh…" I tried to answer, but I was too intimidated by the woman's presence.

"Hmph. Whatever," the woman continued anyway, "If you're here gathering information, then I suppose I might as well 'cooperate' with you… Of course, I don't allow for uncertainties, so you had better watch your step whilst I'm around. All right. I am Terra Everett, one of the administrators for GaruruGame… You may also call me… the witness."

(Gee, I bet Ms. Everett and Bladeston would get along fabulously… Wait, did she just say—)

"The… The witness?" I asked.

"Oh, so YOU were the one who shrieked so loudly last night!" Eddy said, and Everett glared at him.

(I don't think those were the right choice of words, Eddy. :Urk:)

"Hmph. Call it what you may, but… Yes, I was the one who… got into a panic last night," Everett said.

"So… You discovered Mr. Fanners' body?" I asked.

"Yes, I did," Everett answered. "The moment I saw Fanners lying on the floor like that, not moving, I knew something was wrong. And forthrightly, I knew that Porter had something to do with it, what with his and Fanners' shaky association and all."

"Uh… 'Shaky association'?" Eddy asked, "What do you mean by that, Ms. Everett?"

"Aren't you the nosy type?" Everett said. "I said I would cooperate, but like I already stated, I don't allow for uncertainties… And that includes talking about things you really shouldn't be bothering yourselves with."

"B-But…" Eddy said, but got cut off automatically.

"I believe I already refused to answer," Everett said. "Now, unless you think you can really force me to say anything, I suggest you two leave this investigation to the professionals."

"P-Professionals?" Eddy said, looking offended.

"Hmph," Everett shook her head. "I honestly don't think I should be wasting my time talking to you two. I mean, a short defense attorney in a silly lime-green suit and a mere child with goggles on his head and a lab coat on are hardly what I'd consider 'professionals' at all. I told you that I came across Fanners' body, but that's all I can say. I have nothing else to hide."

(Grr… She won't say anything!)

It was no use. Everett refused to say anything, so Eddy and I had to leave… But I wasn't planning on giving up yet. Even though Everett was being so stubborn and was withholding information, I figured there was still someone who could answer our questions… And she was conveniently downstairs at the main lobby.

* * *

**July 24, 1:23 PM; GaruruGame Media Center, Main Lobby**

"Ah," Birchwood said, "I see you've returned."

"Ms. Birchwood…" I said, "Is it okay if I asked you a few more questions?"

"Of course," Birchwood said, "It's not like I really have anything else to do all day… So, what would you like to ask me?"

(I've only got one shot at this, so I can't screw up! Which question should I ask Ms. Birchwood?)

**"Who was the girl with the beanie?"**

**"What's Mr. Porter's involvement with Mr. Fanners?"**

**"Why is Ms. Everett so grouchy?"**

"Ms. Birchwood," I said, "How are Mr. Porter and Mr. Fanners related? I mean, other than being co-workers, that is…"

"What do you mean by that?" Birchwood asked.

"See, me and Eddy sorta ran into one of the admins… Ms. Terra Everett," I said, "And she told us that she came across Mr. Fanners' body. Other than that, she also said that she suspected Mr. Porter to be the perpetrator, because he and the victim had… a 'shaky association'. So… What's this all about?"

"Hmm… I see," Birchwood said, thinking. "All right. Mr. Porter and Mr. Fanners… They don't really get along well."

"You mean they're rivals?" Eddy asked.

"No, they're not," Birchwood said, "A long time ago, Mr. Porter and Mr. Fanners were good friends, from what I've heard… But something bad happened. I'm not really sure about that, but I heard that Mr. Porter and Mr. Fanners became distant, and that the former had a grudge against the latter."

"A grudge?" I asked.

"I've only heard about it from co-workers," Birchwood said, "But it seems true to me… Mr. Porter doesn't like Mr. Fanners much."

"Wait…" I said, confused. "If those two are at odds with each other… Then why the heck were they both in the VRT Room?!"

"Sorry, but I don't know the answer," Birchwood shook her head. "I assume it would only be business matters, though."

(Business matters, huh?)

"Well, thanks for talking to us anyway, Ms. Birchwood," I said.

"Oh, it was nothing," Birchwood brushed off. "I work as a receptionist after all, and part of my job is to offer information to those who need it."

"Well, you've been really helpful, Ms. Birchwood!" Eddy said. "Thanks for all the info!"

I had enough info then, and I decided to question Porter about what really happened inside the VRT Room. Eddy and I waved down a cab to take us back to the Detention Center, and I checked the Court Record on the way there, since I had 85 minutes to do so.

COURT RECORD:

ATTORNEY'S BADGE

- My treasured Attorney's Badge. Having it on makes me feel like a real man!

GUIDE MAP (Floor 1)

- A guide map for the ground floor of the GaruruGame Media Center.

GUIDE MAP (Floors 2-6)

- A guide map for floors 2 to 6.

CRIME PHOTO

- Snapshot of the victim, Toby Fanners, after death.

FANNERS' GOGGLES

- The victim's orange goggles. Bears Porter's fingerprints and appears to have been shoved along with Fanners.

FINGERPRINTING SET

- A bottle of aluminum flake powder and a small brush. Used for finding fingerprints.

FINGERPRINT MATCH-FINDER

- Scans witnesses' hands and enters their fingerprint pattern into the memory. Used to match fingerprints to their respective owners.

MAIN GENERATOR

- The machine that powers all the equipment inside the Virtual Reality Testing Room. Bears Porter's fingerprints.

PORTER'S FINGERPRINT

- Fingerprint of the defendant, Sander Porter. Found on the main generator inside the VRT Room.

CARD KEY

- Porter's Card Key. Opens the door to his office.

UMD CASE

- A case for a universal media disk. Found inside a folded towel in Porter's office.

FANNERS TEAM PHOTO

- A crumpled old photo of Sander Porter, Toby Fanners, and an unknown woman.

(Now let's check all the people we've met.)

PROFILES:

**Eddy Skye**

Age: 10

- Son of a famous Scientific Investigator, currently working as my Investigative Junior Partner. Also my "little brother", in a sense.

**Detective Thurston Razor**

Age: 28

- The detective in charge of the initial investigation. Uses notes rather than real evidence, and has remarkably fast comprehension skills.

**Lance Bladeston**

Age: 22

- A Prosecuting Speed Demon, as well as the prosecutor for the case. Regards me as a rival… whom he pulls a sword on.

**Sander Porter**

Age: 42

- The defendant of the case, and an employee of the GaruruGame Media Center. Very bad-tempered, and tends to call people "noobs".

**Toby Fanners**

Age: 39

- The victim, and a former administrator of the GaruruGame Company. Not on good terms with Porter.

**Sienna Birchwood**

Age: 33

- A receptionist for GaruruGame Media Center. A friendly, helpful lady who always seems to keep her eyes closed.

**Terra Everett**

Age: 26

- Another administrator at GaruruGame. Seems to be in general control of things at the company, although very bossy, and doesn't tolerate well.

**Mysterious Girl**

Age??

- A weird girl with a beanie that Eddy and I ran into while in the employee lounge.

I was able to finish checking all the evidence and profiles by the time Eddy and I got back to the Detention Center. Porter had just returned to his cell, having just been called in for questioning. As always, he was looking grumpy.

(Looks like I can finally question him now…)

* * *

**July 24, 3:00 PM; Detention Center, Visitor's Room**

"Heh, looks like noob— I mean, Mr. Lawyer, and the nooblet are back!" Porter said. "So? Did ya find anything or what?"

"Y-Yeah, we found something," I said, hesitating a little. "But it looks like what we found is gonna incriminate you more, Mr. Porter."

"Eh? Well that sucks!" Porter said angrily. "I thought you were supposed to be finding stuff to help me win, not friggen lay the blame on me!"

"Actually, Mr. Porter," I continued, "The stuff looks incriminating only because _you haven't told us the full truth yet_."

"Huh?" Porter said, taken aback. "What the friggen hell do you mean by that?!"

"Mr. Porter…" I said, "Tell us what really happened when you and Mr. Fanners were in the Virtual Reality Testing Room!"

"I told you…" Porter said, "We were just talking about the company!"

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

THAT'S A LIE!!!

"Mr. Porter!" I said, "My job may be to prove you innocent, but I can't do that unless you tell us the complete truth about what happened last night! You didn't just talk about business, and I can prove it!"

**WAHRHEITRON INTERROGATION PHASE**

"I'm telling you…" Porter said as the Corpus Meters, each displaying 50 EP's, showed up. "I didn't murder Toby Fanners!"

"That's not what I'm trying to say," I said, "You didn't murder him, but you didn't just talk casually with him either!"

"And I suppose you've got proof?" Porter said. "Come on! Give me some friggen proof!"

TAKE THAT!

"Here's your proof!" I said, my special ability going on autopilot, and presented the UMD Case. Porter looked surprised that I had it, and asked where I got it. I answered, "I found this UMD Case in your office… It looks like some sort of project to me, and I'm guessing that you wanted to present it to Mr. Fanners, since he was a company admin. Well, isn't that right?"

"Y-Yeah…" Porter said, losing 25 EP's. "But that doesn't prove anything—!"

"Your project was rejected, wasn't it?" I asked. Porter again looked surprised, and eventually nodded.

"S-So what?" Porter said, "That still doesn't prove a damn thing. Fanners rejected my project, sure, but I didn't do anything to him!"

"Nope," I shook my head and said, "You did. You didn't murder Mr. Fanners, but you still did something. And it was—!"

"**You had a chat about your project."**

"**You had a fight with Mr. Fanners."**

TAKE THAT!

"You had a fight with Mr. Fanners!" I said. "You're not on good terms with him, and you got into a heated argument because he rejected your project!"

"Grr… No way!" Porter said. "You don't have proof that I got into a fight with him!"

TAKE THAT!

"You DID get into a fight with him," I said, presenting the victim's orange goggles. "These goggles, the ones that the victim was wearing on his neck, have your fingerprints on them, Mr. Porter! In actuality, you shoved Mr. Fanners and knocked him unconscious!"

"… Damn it," Porter muttered, and his EP's dropped down to zero. "You're right… I got into a fight with him… But I didn't kill him, honest!"

**END WAHRHEITRON INTERROGATION PHASE**

"Why were you on bad terms with Mr. Fanners?" I asked.

"It's really not something you should be worrying about," Porter said. "It's from something that happened a long time ago… But I tried to keep my temper at bay! See, I was working on a project and wanted to submit it to the company… But to do that, I had to make Fanners permit it first. Unfortunately, he didn't like my idea, and I just… exploded. I pushed him and he got knocked out, but I swear… I didn't kill him."

"What was your project, anyway?" Eddy asked.

"… I can't tell you that yet, nooblet!" Porter said. "You snuck into my office just to get it! That's a friggen breaking-and-entering! Hey, wait a minute… I thought I locked my office… How'd you two get inside, anyway?"

"Uh… We sorta 'borrowed' your Card Key," Eddy said sheepishly. "You left it in the employee lounge, anyway."

"Well, give it back to me!" Porter said.

"Ah… Sorry, but we might still need it!" I hesitated, and refused to give it to him.

"Hmph. Noobs…" Porter muttered. "You're lucky you're my defense team, or else I'd probably have given you an infraction point for this!"

(Again with the "infraction point"… Say… What exactly is an infraction point, anyway?)

"Why'd you leave it in the employee lounge anyway?" I asked.

"I musta just left it there by accident," Porter said, thinking. "I remember taking a break, and I probably just forgot about leaving my Card Key!"

"… Oh yeah!" I suddenly remembered. "When we were in the employee lounge… We ran into somebody, and I was wondering if you knew who she was."

"It was a girl wearing a beanie, with a wad of bubblegum in here mouth!" Eddy added.

"… Beanie… Bubblegum…" Porter said, and thought for a while. Then he suddenly said, "That's Cassandra!"

"Cassandra?" I asked, confused.

"Oh… I need to explain, huh?" Porter said, and sighed. "Cassandra Porter. She's my niece!"

"Y-Your niece?!" Eddy and I said at the same time, shocked.

"I take really good care of her!" Porter bragged. "Cassandra's a good girl, and she's already real mature, even at the age of 17! Heh, she comes by at the Media Center a few times a week for her part-time job, actually… She's a good kid, I tell ya! I should know! I raised her ever since her parents died in a car accident 15 years ago!"

(Wow… Who knew the old fart actually cared about someone? Well, guess I better update the profiles…)

**Cassandra Porter**

Age: 17

- Sander Porter's niece, whom he seems quite fond of. Goes to the Media Center a few times a week to work part-time.

"So she works part-time at the Media Center, huh?" I said.

"That explains why she was in the employee lounge!" Eddy added. "But I wonder why she suddenly ran away, though…"

"Ran away?" Porter said, "Hey! You didn't scare her, did you?!"

"GAH!" Eddy said, "N-No! She was probably just… surprised or something!"

"Hmm… So, if Cassandra works at the Media Center…" I said, "Was she there last night, when the incident happened?"

"She went there yesterday, yeah," Porter answered, "But she suddenly disappeared sometime during the late afternoon… I thought that she had gone home, but I never found out since… Heh, y'know! I got friggen arrested!"

"Well, we ran into her this morning, so I guess she might've stayed there all night," Eddy said. "Either way, she's probably back at her home right now."

"That's a good thing, then!" Porter said. "If she'd been in that building all night and isn't home yet by now, I'd be worried sick!"

(Looks like Porter really cares for his niece… Weird, since he doesn't seem like the type to care for someone at all!)

"I, uh, guess that's all we really needed to know," I said, turning to leave. "Thanks for finally telling us the truth, Mr. Porter."

"Hmph. After ya forced me into doing it, yeah!" Porter said bitterly.

Eddy and I had already left the Detention Center, when he suddenly remembered that he had to give Detective Razor the evidence notes he made during our investigation for the day. We ended up making a quick stop at the Criminal Affairs Department.

* * *

**July 24, 4:04 PM; Criminal Affairs Department**

(So this is what the precinct looks like…)

I just remembered that it was the first time I had actually gone to the Criminal Affairs Department. It looked like a normal office with work desks, computers, and files, save for all the detectives that were running around handling different cases. There was a large counter in the middle, and behind it was a bearded man, whom Eddy told me was the Head Detective. On the counter was a weird, blue stuffed animal, which I recognized as the "Blue Badger", the Police Department's mascot for the last 20 years.

"Okay, let's see if Detective Razor's here…" Eddy said, looking around. "Aha! There he is!"

Detective Razor saw us, and ran over, saying, "Griff! Eddy! So… How was the investigation?"

"It was okay," Eddy said, and handed Detective Razor the usual evidence notes. "We put the Fingerprinting Set and the Match-finder to the test, too, and it worked! Thanks for giving it to us, Detective Razor!"

"Well, that's good to hear," Razor replied, taking the notes, "Anything new with the crime scene?"

"Well… Yeah," Eddy said, and told Detective Razor about Porter and Fanners' fight inside the VRT Room. "Looks like Mr. Porter really did knock Mr. Fanners unconscious."

"But…" I said, "That doesn't exactly mean that he did it, right?"

"There's still a chance that he's innocent," Razor said, "But it's a slim one. So the defendant was at odds with the victim… Oh, boy… To me, that spells 'motive for murder'. Did you find anything that doesn't implicate Mr. Porter, though?"

"There is… one thing," I said, and presented the crumpled-up photo we found in Porter's office. "There's this photo, and it shows Mr. Porter and Mr. Fanners smiling, so… I guess it doesn't mean that Mr. Porter did it?"

"Lemme take a good look at it…" Razor said, examining the photo. "You're right, but there's still one thing… When was this photo taken? From what you've told me, Mr. Porter and Mr. Fanners were good friends before, but suddenly got into conflict with each other because 'something bad happened'. If this photo was taken when the two were still on good terms, then I assure you… If you present this photo tomorrow, by any chance, then I'm sure Bladeston'll counter it automatically."

(Oh, yeah… He's right. :Urk:)

"So this photo doesn't prove anything…" I said, disappointed. "Aww man…"

"Y'know, there's something I don't get about this picture," Eddy suddenly cut in, and pointed to the other person in the photo. "Who's that woman?"

"Yeah, I wondered about that, too!" I added. "We never saw anyone who looked like that at the Media Center…"

"She could be an ex-worker," Razor said. "Either way, if she doesn't work at the Media Center now, then she's probably not related to this case at all."

"Speaking of the case," Eddy said, "Were there any other witnesses to the murder, Detective?"

"There are witnesses, yeah," Razor said, "But they just stumbled across the crime scene. Nobody saw the actual crime take place."

"Is that because of the power outage?" I asked, and Detective Razor nodded. "So… How many witnesses are there?"

"From what I've gathered, two," Razor answered. "You… probably ran into one of them already… Y'know, the grouch?"

(The grouch… Everett!)

"You mean that nasty Terra Everett?!" Eddy said angrily. "She was so stuck-up and mean! Seriously! She said that me and Griff weren't 'professionals'! Who does she think she is? Just because she's an admin, doesn't mean she can look down on people… literally!"

(Looks like Eddy's still angry with what Ms. Everett did…)

"Yeah, she's not the most likeable kinda person," Razor agreed, "But her attitude's what keeps her in control of things around the company. In fact, she thinks this entire case is gonna ruin the company's image… And that's why she decided to testify tomorrow."

"So she's one of the witnesses who's gonna testify?" I asked, and Detective Razor nodded again. "What about the other one?"

"She doesn't want to testify, unfortunately," Razor said. "That means the only ones testifying in court tomorrow are me and Ms. Everett… Well, thanks for the evidence notes. That's all the information I can give you guys today, since I have to save some for tomorrow's testimony. Don't worry about it, Griff! I'm sure you can still prove your client innocent!"

"Thanks," I said, "But who knows what new tactics Bladeston's developed since we last met more than two months ago…"

…………

Eddy and I left the precinct. We were on our way back to the law office, when Eddy suddenly asked if I believed in Porter's innocence.

"What do you think, Griff?" Eddy asked. "Do you think he did it?"

"I don't know," I said, and shook my head. "Maybe things'll get just a little bit clearer during tomorrow's trial."

"But then there's the creepy thing," Eddy said.

"Yeah," I agreed. "_Our client… has a motive… That can't be a good thing_."


	7. Digital Turnabout Day 3A

Chapter Three, Part Three.

Apologies for not updating for over half a year. I lost all the documents for this story and had to start over from scratch. Anyway, this is a continuation of the previous chapter, and is the trial phase for Case Three: Digital Turnabout. All main characters are owned by me. There may be references to characters that I do not own. In such cases, please refer to the disclaimer.

As always, please read, comment, and criticize.

* * *

**CHAPTER THREE: DIGITAL TURNABOUT**

**Day Three: Trial**

**July 25, 9:30 AM; District Court, Defense Lobby**

It was the first day of the trial… As usual, I was in the lobby, checking all the evidence I had, and trying to form patterns in my head. Even though my ability made a dramatic comeback two months before the current date, it wasn't permanently present, and I had to make do without it. During that time, my ability was with me, but I still couldn't figure everything out yet… My client, Sander Porter, who was accused of murdering Toby Fanners by electrocuting him inside the Virtual Reality Testing Room in the GaruruGame Media Center, obviously had a motive… yet I still had reason to believe that he was innocent. 

I knew I would end up confusing myself more, so decided to close the Court Record.

"Hey, whatcha doing, noob— I mean, Mr. Lawyer?"

"Haha, not even close, Eddy," I smirked, and looked up. "If you wanna sound like Mr. Porter, you gotta add more hatred and gruffness."

"Yeah, sure, hatred and gruffness," Eddy said. "So… Reviewing evidence?"

"Yep," I said. "It's been a while since I've been in court, so I need some ammo for this one. Man, I really don't like the fact that our client's got a motive. A lot of the evidence we've got so far isn't helping either…"

"Well, we've got two pieces of evidence that might not implicate him," Eddy said. "But then again, we're not sure of those either."

"Guess I'll just have to spot some good contradictions, then," I sighed. "Huh. We still don't have any info on the murder weapon yet, do we?"

"Hey, yeah I forgot about that," Eddy said, thinking. "Detective Razor's most likely gonna tell the court today."

(Yeah. With no info on the murder weapon, we're not gonna get through this easily!)

"Oh yeah, I just remembered something!" Eddy suddenly said as we were going inside the courtroom.

"Yeah…" I said. "What is it?"

"Well, I did a little research last night, and guess what I found out?" Eddy said. "According to one of the online archives I found about the GaruruGame Media Center, Mr. Porter was actually a high admin himself two years ago! In fact, that grouchy lady we met yesterday… she used to be his subordinate!" 

"Really?" I said, finding the thought of Porter being a supervisor kinda… out there. "Are you sure about that?"

"Positive!" Eddy said with an energetic nod. "Mr. Porter and Mr. Fanners, at the time, also received the highest possible individual employee effort points. That was also how Mr. Fanners got promoted to admin." 

"Highest possible individual employee effort points?" I asked. "What are those?"

"They're kinda like reward points or Effort Values," Eddy said. "Employees who work super hard gain those, and get promoted immediately. Actually, I think that nobody's been able to beat that record yet; Mr. Porter and Mr. Fanners' points, that is… Y'know, I think that even that grouchy admin, Terra Everett, hasn't been able to achieve that either!" He let out a small snicker. 

"That's great and all," I said, "But how do you think that'll help with today's trial?"

"I honestly don't know!" Eddy admitted with a sheepish grin, "But I've got the archive statistics article with me, just in case."

"Uh… sure," I said as I updated the evidence.

Media Center Statistics Article added to the Court Record.

MEDIA CENTER STATISTICS ARTICLE

- Both Sander Porter and Toby Fanners were admins two years ago, and apparently also achieved the highest possible employee effort points.

(Well, this _is_ some interesting info… I just hope it's useful in today's trial. :Gulp:)

* * *

**July 25, 10:01 AM; District Court, Courtroom #2**

BANG!

"Court is now in session for the trial of Mr. Sander Porter," the Judge said.

"The defense is ready, Your Honor," I said, secretly trying to check if Bladeston had the sword with him again. He looked like his normal self on the outside, complete with the piercingly creepy eyes. Strangely enough, though, he looked like he was kinda spaced out; like he wanted the trial to end right away.

"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor," Bladeston said, "And if I may, I would like to get on with my opening statement already."

"Er… Yes, of course, Mr. Bladeston," the Judge said.

"Sander Porter, the defendant and an employee of the GaruruGame Media Center, has been accused of murdering his colleague Toby Fanners inside the Virtual Reality Testing Room, or VRT Room for short," Bladeston said, seemingly in a hurry. "Initial investigation at the murder scene has revealed that the victim died of electrocution. The Autopsy Report is right here."

(Bladeston seems like he's in a rush today. Wonder why?)

Autopsy Report added to the Court Record.

(Okay. Now that I've got the Autopsy Report with me, I better update the Court Record.)

AUTOPSY REPORT

- The victim's Autopsy Report. Death was caused by electrocution.

"Electrocution?" the Judge asked. "Is that right?"

"Yes, Your Honor," Bladeston replied. "The body was found with strange marks on the skin that could not have been caused by anything other than an electric shock: around 5000 volts with high ampere readings. Also, the victim was apparently knocked out beforehand, and then finished off with the electric shock. Your Honor, I would now like to call forth the detective in charge of the investigation."

"Y-Yes, carry on," the Judge said.

"The prosecution calls on Detective Thurston Razor," Bladeston said.

Detective Razor was at the witness stand only a few seconds later.

"Your Honor, I would like to skip any unnecessary procedures and let Detective Razor begin his testimony immediately," Bladeston said.

"Um… Of course," the Judge said, starting to look confused. "Please begin your testimony, Detective."

"Gotcha," Razor said.

**TESTIMONY BEGINS**

"Mr. Toby Fanners was killed by means of electrocution inside the VRT Room during a time period between 8 PM and 8:20 PM," Razor began. "There was a convention ongoing at the Media Center that night, so almost all of the people in the Media Center were inside the Convention Room. From the info we've gathered, Mr. Porter and Mr. Fanners were both inside the VRT Room sometime around 7:50 to 8 PM."

"Please extrapolate on the murder weapon, Detective," Bladeston said.

"That ain't gonna be easy," Razor said with a fox-smirk. "See, all the cables inside the VRT Room were intact. Nothing was pulled off the main generator."

"Wait. Cables? Main Generator?" the Judge said. "I'm not sure I follow?"

(You can never have a speedy trial with this Judge around. :Sweatdrop:)

"Oh, yeah, I forgot," Razor said, presenting a piece of folded paper. "We were able to obtain floor plans of the murder scene from the receptionist. You can clearly see that there's a drawing representing all the machines and stuff found in the room, like the analysis computers and the main generator. That's the battery-like thing with the cables that connect to the rest of the machinery."

VRT Room Floor Plans added to the Court Record.

"This is exactly what we saw yesterday," Eddy said. "All the cables were intact, so they couldn't have been used to electrocute Mr. Fanners."

(So, we still don't know what the murder weapon is…?)

"There was no live wire present at the crime scene," Razor continued. "We're still trying to figure out what the murder weapon is."

"So, the thing that electrocuted the victim is still unknown?" the Judge asked. "Then what killed the victim?"

"Keep in mind, Your Honor, that the location of the murder was a testing room," Bladeston said. "There are more possible sources of electric shock than just a mere cable. Now, I think this matter should be discussed later, when it is needed. Right now, I believe that Mr. Turner's cross-examination should begin. Your Honor, if you please."

(Huh? Bladeston wants to skip talking about the murder weapon? What's wrong with him today?)

"Oh, right! The defense may now begin the cross-examination," the Judge said.

**CROSS-EXAMINATION**

"Mr. Toby Fanners was killed by means of electrocution inside the VRT Room during a time period between 8 PM and 8:20 PM."

HOLD IT!

"Mr. Porter and Mr. Fanners were the only ones inside the VRT Room at the time, right?" I asked.

"Yep," Razor said. "They were discussing stuff about the company."

"What time was the body discovered again?" I asked.

"I'd say it was a little bit past 9 PM," Razor said. "The victim had been dead for over 40 minutes then."

(Nothing new here. That's the same info we got yesterday.)

"Were any other employees near the area?" the Judge asked. "This… Game Company thing… Surely there were more people around?"

"Yeah, there were more people around," Razor said. "But they weren't really anywhere near the VRT Room."

"There was a convention ongoing at the Media Center that night, so almost all of the people in the Media Center were inside the Convention Room."

HOLD IT!

"The G-34 Convention," I said. "So, uh, you'd say that the other employees were in the Convention Room, too?"

"Uh-huh," Razor nodded. "Most of 'em, that is. Of course there's the receptionist: she stayed in the lobby the whole time."

"Ms. Sienna Birchwood, you mean," Bladeston said.

"Hmm…" I said, thinking, "Do you suppose Ms. Birchwood saw anyone else go inside the VRT Room at the time?"

"She said that she only saw Mr. Porter and Mr. Fanners go through the hallway that leads to the room," Razor said. "She also said that she saw only Mr. Porter leave the room ten minutes later."

(Crud. This statement's a dead end, too!)

"From the info we've gathered, Mr. Porter and Mr. Fanners were both inside the VRT Room sometime around 7:50 to 8 PM."

HOLD IT!

"They were initially talking about the company," I said, "And then—"

"The defendant and the victim got into a fight," Bladeston interrupted.

"A… A fight, you say?" the Judge said.

"Correct, Your Honor," Bladeston said. "The defendant and the victim were not on good terms with each other. Apparently an argument ensued between the two when they were inside the Virtual Reality Testing Room, and the defendant, Sander Porter, attacked Toby Fanners!"

The people inside the courtroom started murmuring again. I hate it when they do that!

"Order!" the Judge said, and told Bladeston to continue. "Ah! So, this fight is what made the victim unconscious before he was electrocuted?"

"Yes, Your Honor," Bladeston continued. "And I believe that Mr. Turner here has some evidence to prove it. Well? Would you care to present it right now?"

(Ack! The goggles! I should've seen this coming:Urk:) 

"Mr. Turner!" the Judge said. "You had evidence that proves that the defendant knocked the victim unconscious all along?"

"I… well…" I stuttered.

"I do believe that you should present this evidence to the court," the Judge shook his head. "Unless of course you'd rather receive a penalty!"

"Y-Yes, Your Honor!" I said out of pressure. "Presenting it right away!"

TAKE THAT!

"These are the victim's goggles," I said, presenting the evidence. "Uh… Mr. Porter's fingerprints are on them… in a shoving position—"

"Thus, we have already established a motive!" Bladeston cut in again, and presented his own copy of the photo of Porter's fingerprints on the main generator. "Another interesting thing I'd like to point out is this: the defendant's fingerprints clearly imprinted on the main generator. Your Honor, I do believe this trial is already over!"

(WHAT?! NO WAY!)

"Um, I'm afraid I'm going to have to disagree with you, Mr. Bladeston," the Judge suddenly said. "I admit you have a very nice point, well, actually a set of clear and very well-rounded points… But I can't hand down a Guilty Verdict yet. See, the defense has not yet finished the cross-examination. Let's let Mr. Turner finish asking all his questions…"

(Wow, who'd have thought that the Judge would save my butt—?)

"… And then I can hand over the Guilty Verdict," the Judge said, and a sheepish grin sliced through his muttonchops.

(… I spoke too soon.)

"Very well," Bladeston said with a small bit of annoyance in his voice. "Detective Razor, would you care to move on to your next statement?"

"Sure, sure," Razor said.

"There was no live wire present at the crime scene. We're still trying to figure out what the murder weapon is."

HOLD IT!

"Since all the cables were intact," I said, "What do you suppose delivered the electric shock?"

"There're lots of things inside the VRT Room that could've done that," Razor said.

"As I've already said, the murder scene was a testing room," Bladeston said. "Everything inside had an electric current running through one way or another."

"Unfortunately we haven't had much luck in finding out which one," Razor added.

(Yeah, and I'm not having much luck with this cross-examination!)

BANG!

"Well, Mr. Turner," the Judge said, readying his gavel, "Your Cross-Examination is now over. Now, unless you have a problem with any of the statements…"

(Damn it! Is it over already?! No! There's gotta be something I overlooked!)

**THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH THE TESTIMONY**

… **NO PROBLEM**

I tried thinking about whatever it was that I overlooked. I needed to find something, or it would've meant bad news for us down the line. I tried to remember everything that had to do with the _time of the murder_, since, for some reason, something about that was bugging me… Then I found it.

"Your Honor, there's a problem with the testimony!" I said, and did a desk slam. "There's something wrong with the time period between the argument and the time of death!"

OBJECTION!

"Mr. Turner!" Bladeston said, "Haven't we already established that the victim had been dead for over 40 minutes—?"

OBJECTION!

"That's not what I'm talking about, Mr. Bladeston," I cut in. "Maybe we should review the testimony. Detective Razor said that the victim was killed between 8 PM and 8:20 PM. The body was found a little after 9 PM, so yes Mr. Fanners had been dead for over 40 minutes. That means that the time of death was approximately at 8:20 PM… However, the time that Mr. Fanners actually spent inside the VRT Room with Mr. Porter was only ten minutes, which was from 7:50 to 8 PM!"

"Hmm, and Mr. Fanners was knocked out at 8 PM," Razor said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Ah! I see!" the Judge said. "It appears there's a 20-minute gap between the time that Mr. Fanners was knocked unconscious, and the time that he was actually murdered!"

"That's right, Your Honor!" I nodded. "The defendant was only responsible for knocking the victim out!"

The crowd got noisy again… I was too relieved by the little loophole I found to get irritated by them.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"Order in the court!" the Judge said, and turned to Bladeston. "Mr. Bladeston. The defense has made quite a claim. Can you provide anything to counter this?"

"No, Your Honor," Bladeston said, shaking his head. He stayed silent for a couple of seconds, and continued, "I am afraid I overlooked this as well. However, the 20-minute gap is only a minor oversight, and I would like to provide _a remedy _for it."

"A remedy?" I asked, confused. "Mr. Bladeston, do you still think Mr. Porter committed the murder, even if he left the crime scene?!"

"Yes," Bladeston said coolly. "See, you have yet to substantiate your claim with the proper evidence, Mr. Turner. Right now, the only thing you have is this convenient little time break. The defendant still has a motive, and is already guilty of assault on the victim." He adjusted his green glasses and said, "I think we should take care of this matter by viewing it from another perspective."

"Another perspective?" I said, "You mean—"

"Detective Razor," Bladeston said, "I believe you've already met who I'm going to call forth next?"

"Yeah," Razor said. "She actually agreed to talk, did she? Whaddya know?"

"Who?" the Judge asked, "Who are we talking about again?"

"The witness, Your Honor," Bladeston said, as Detective Razor left the witness stand. "I would now like to call forth the next witness."

(I think I know who's coming… I just hope she's in at least a slightly better mood today. :Gulp:)

Some moments later, Terra Everett, the grumpy admin Eddy and I met the day before, was at the witness stand. She had that stern look on her face again, the one that just screams "I-Don't-Allow-For-Uncertainties" at you, even when her mouth is completely shut. And the freaky thing was the fact that the Judge was looking at her in a googly-eyed way. Disturbing…

"Here comes the grouch," Eddy muttered. "Think she'll lie about something, Griff?"

"Dunno," I said, and turned on the blue wristwatch on my left hand. "But we better play it safe."

"Please state your name and occupation," Bladeston said.

"My name is Terra Everett," Everett said, "And I am a high official at the GaruruGame Media Center; a company administrator, to be specific."

"I understand you were the very first to stumble upon the victim's body on the night of July 23rd," Bladeston said. "Please testify about what happened.

**TESTIMONY BEGINS**

"I had just come down from the Meeting Room up on the fourth floor," Everett began, "And I was on my way home then. While passing through the corridor on the ground floor, I noticed that the Virtual Reality Testing Room door was open. The room seemed empty to me, but I went inside anyway. It was then that I discovered Toby Fanners on the floor. I… got into a bit of a panic, especially since the lights suddenly went out afterwards."

"That must've been quite an experience," the Judge said. "You weren't hurt, were you?"

"No, thankfully not," Everett said. "I'm quite capable of handling any situation, unless of course it's something similar to what happened the other night."

"I see," the Judge nodded. "You seem like a very responsible lady. No wonder you're a company administrator!"

"Thank you," Everett said. "It's the blatant truth, after all."

"Ohoho, yes indeed!" the Judge, who was beginning to blush, said. I could see that even Bladeston was starting to look embarrassed at that awkward situation.

"Griff…" Eddy said with a disturbed look on his face. "What the heck does the Judge think he's doing?!"

(Ugh. Okay, can you two lovebirds stop right now and let me do my cross-examination?)

"Uh, Your Honor," I said. "Can I cross-examine the witness now…?"

"What? Oh, yes, of course," the Judge said after snapping back to his senses for a while, "You may begin your cross-examination."

**CROSS-EXAMINATION**

"I had just come down from the Meeting Room up on the fourth floor and I was on my way home then."

HOLD IT!

"There was a meeting?" I asked, "But weren't the other admins too busy minding the convention?"

"It was a special meeting," Everett replied, "For other high-ranking company officials such as myself. I had absolutely no time to bother myself with things such as the G-34 Gaming Convention. I think of it as a distraction."

"Yes, yes, a distraction!" the Judge said, nodding in approval.

(Oh boy… This isn't gonna be easy.)

"So, around what time was this?" I continued asking, "When you came down from the Meeting Room, that is."

"Two minutes to nine," Everett replied without even pausing.

"Are you sure about that?" I asked.

"Please do not question my memory, Mr. Turner," Everett said, and glared at me and Eddy the same way she did the day before. "My memory is as sharp as ever. I don't forget things easily, even in such circumstances as the incident the other night. After all, I am a professional."

"Again with the 'professional' thing?!" Eddy snapped, "Why I oughtta—"

"Eddy, sit," I said. "Good boy. Let's try not to get too intimidated by her. I can sense she's hiding something."

"While passing through the corridor on the ground floor, I noticed that the Virtual Reality Testing Room door was open."

OBJECTION!

"Wait a second!" I said, and presented the Guide Maps, followed by a small desk slam. "How could you have passed through that hallway when the only elevator's located in the lobby?"

OBJECTION!

"That's not much of a point, Mr. Turner!" Bladeston said, followed by his own desk slam. "How the witness was able to get down from the fourth floor to the ground floor is not necessary to this case!" 

"I agree with the prosecutor," Everett added. "Besides, we high administrators have our own special elevators."

"Uh…" I muttered, embarrassed at objecting to such a statement.

"Perhaps you should practice thinking before acting, Mr. Turner!" the Judge said, and shook his head again. "Overruled!"

(Shoot! I got a penalty… Ack! I lost 10 EP's!!!)

"Griff, try not to present evidence against those kinds of statements!" Eddy said. "You've got the Wahrheitron on, remember! Don't lose your remaining 45 EP's!"

(Damn! I didn't know I could lose EP's even outside the Interrogation Phase. :Urk:) 

"The room seemed empty to me, but I went inside anyway."

HOLD IT!

"Why did you decide to go in, even when you thought the room was empty?" I asked.

"Security check," Everett replied. "I needed to make sure that everything was in order inside."

"But wouldn't you just think of closing an open door to an empty room if you see one?" I asked again.

"If it were a normal door, yes," Everett said, starting to look annoyed. "But the door to the Virtual Reality Testing Room doesn't exactly fit into that category, you know. May I continue now?"

"Please do," Bladeston said, arms folded. 

"It was then that I discovered Toby Fanners on the floor. I… got into a bit of a panic, especially since the lights suddenly went out afterwards."

HOLD IT!

"The lights went out a few minutes after nine," I said. "What do you specifically remember seeing about Mr. Fanners' body before the blackout?" 

"Well, he wasn't moving, obviously," Everett said, and glared again. "However I remember seeing how he was just lying there. His eyes were closed and I couldn't tell whether he merely fainted or… you know."

(So she remembers his facial expression… Wait a minute.)

"Wait, so, you, uh, saw his face?" I asked with a little hesitation. "Clearly?"

"Yes," Everett said. "He was lying on the floor on his back."

"Please add this to you testimony, Ms. Everett," the Judge said.

"Mr. Fanners was just lying there on his back, not moving."

OBJECTION!

(This is definitely a contradiction!)

"Ms. Everett," I said, and pointed at her. "Are you sure that, when you stumbled across the victim's body, he was _lying on his back_?"

"What kind of question is that?" Everett sneered. "Of course I'm sure of what I saw!"

"If that's the case, then how do you explain this?" I presented the Crime Photo of Fanners after his death. It clearly showed him lying facedown! 

"AH!!!" Everett said, shocked. "That's…"

"The body of the victim!" I said. "This photo was taken after Mr. Fanners was electrocuted to death. It's very evident that he died lying facedown, and not on his back!" 

OBJECTION!

"Do you mean to say, Mr. Turner," Bladeston said, "That the witness is lying about what she saw?"

"Not at all, Mr. Bladeston!" I replied, shaking my head. "I'm only saying that there's something to doubt about _when_ the witness stumbled upon Mr. Fanners." I did another desk slam and looked Everett in the eye. "Ms. Everett! Did you come across Mr. Fanners in the VRT Room after he was killed, or only after he got knocked out?!"

"I… about the body position…" Everett tried to make excuses. "See, there was a power outage, was there not? The position… I probably just forgot because of the aftershock."

OBJECTION!

"If that were the case, then you're losing credibility, Ms. Everett!" I said.

OBJECTION!

"Is that so?" Bladeston said, "Well, would you like to give us a basis on why you believe the witness is losing credibility?" 

"That's simple," I said. "A while ago during the cross-examination, the witness clearly stated that she had a 'sharp memory'. Now that she's claiming to have forgotten the details because of the power outage, well… that's something that tells me her testimony can't be trusted!"

"T-That was only a fluke!" Everett snapped. "It must have slipped my mind!"

(Everett's beginning to get overly defensive about this… My best bet to progress this trial is to just keep on pressing!)

"I'll ask you again!" I said, and did a desk slam. "Did you really come across the victim after he was killed, or only after he got knocked out?!"

"Wha-What difference does it make?" Everett looked nervous. "Porter is still the guilty party!"

I shook my head and said, "You're not answering the question properly, Ms. Everett. A while ago you stated that you were very sure of the time when you came across the victim: a few minutes past nine. But that can't be true. Mr. Fanners got knocked out at 8 PM and was killed at 8:20 PM! Therefore, when you saw the victim, it was actually ONE HOUR BEFORE the time you claimed it was!" 

Everett didn't say anything. She continued to glare in my direction, but I felt that I was getting somewhere.

"This… This is just a pathetic joke, isn't it?" Everett said.

(Terra Everett… What exactly are you trying to hide?)

OBJECTION!

"Very well then," Bladeston suddenly said, "How do you explain the body's change in position from when the victim was unconscious to when the victim had actually died, Mr. Turner? I suppose you have a good explanation for that as well?"

"That's actually pretty easy," I said. "When Mr. Porter and Mr. Fanners got into a fight, Mr. Porter shoved Mr. Fanners backwards. That explains why the victim was lying on his back after he fainted."

"And do you have any evidence to support this?" Bladeston insisted. 

TAKE THAT!

"This is my evidence!" I said, presenting the orange goggles again. "You don't seem like yourself today, Mr. Bladeston. If I recall, it was you, who, only a few moments ago, asked me to present this very evidence that proves that the defendant attacked the victim. I'm sure you would've already known that based on Mr. Porter's fingerprints on these goggles, he pushed Mr. Fanners backwards!" 

OBJECTION!

"Yes, yes, I know!" Bladeston said, "But what I'm asking is how Mr. Fanners ended up facedown after his electrocution—" 

OBJECTION!

"It's not for me to answer that," I said, and looked at Everett, who was starting to sweat. "How about we ask the person who was the first to stumble upon the victim? She was there 20 minutes before the actual murder. Maybe she had something to do with how the body changed position!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Everett snapped.

"Mr. Turner!" the Judge exclaimed, "You're not suggesting that the one who murdered Mr. Fanners is…" 

"THAT'S PREPOSTEROUS!" Everett yelled, finally losing her composure. I didn't even say anything yet, and there she blows: Volcano Everett erupted!

The crowd got noisy once more. The Judge had to bang his gavel around four times to get everyone to settle down.

"That's enough!" the Judge said. "Mr. Turner, are you saying that Ms. Everett… is the murderer?!"

"I didn't say anything yet, Your Honor," I admitted, "However the fact that she was inside the VRT Room at the time that the victim fell unconscious is kinda suspicious to me. Also, the fact that the body changed position seems sorta weird. Your Honor, if I may, I'd like to have Ms. Everett testify for the court again."

"What do you think, Mr. Bladeston?" the Judge asked Bladeston.

"It could end up being a waste of time," Bladeston shrugged. "This procedure is unnecessary, in my opinion, however I'll allow Mr. Turner to continue with his line of questioning provided that it progresses this trial." 

"Alright then," the Judge said, "Ms. Everett, please give us another testimony."

"F-Fine…" Everett muttered.

**TESTIMONY BEGINS**

"Alright, I'll admit it," Everett said, "I came across Mr. Fanners when he was still unconscious. I had a feeling that Porter had something to do with it, so I left the room and tried to chase after him. I asked Birchwood, the receptionist, if she saw Porter exit, and she said that he headed to the Employee Lounge. But when I got there, he was already gone."

"You just left Mr. Fanners there?" I asked.

"I was able to find someone to look after Mr. Fanners while I was out searching for that numbskull Porter," Everett said. "I was more focused on finding Porter so I could give him the pink slip for assaulting a company administrator! There! That's all I have to say."

"You returned to the scene of the crime some time later as well?" Bladeston asked.

"Yes," Everett said. "That was when the blackout occurred and I… panicked."

(Really? You sure you're telling the truth?)

"Mr. Turner, you may now cross-examine the witness," the Judge said.

"Yes, Your Honor," I said.

**CROSS-EXAMINATION**

"I came across Mr. Fanners when he was still unconscious. I had a feeling that Porter had something to do with it, so I left the room and tried to chase after him."

HOLD IT!

"Why did you immediately assume that Mr. Porter had something to do with it?" I asked.

"Hmph. Short term memory?" Everett sneered. "Fanners and Porter weren't on good terms with each other, remember? And since I knew that Porter had a grudge against Fanners, and not to mention has a nasty temper, I hypothesized that the roughhousing was done by Porter."

(Oh, right. I forgot about that.)

"Please continue," Bladeston said.

"I asked Birchwood, the receptionist, if she saw Porter exit, and she said that he headed to the Employee Lounge."

HOLD IT!

"You were really chasing after Mr. Porter then, were you?" I asked.

"Of course!" Everett said. "That idiot's actions already cost the company quite enough, and I wanted to make sure he didn't compound them. Also, assault on a company administrator is an extreme offense at the Media Center!"

"So you were on pursuit of the defendant," Bladeston said. "How did your chase end?"

"But when I got there, he was already gone."

HOLD IT!

"Do you think the defendant purposefully ran away from the scene of the incident?" I asked.

"Isn't that a given already?" Everett sneered again. "Being guilty, that would have been, to him, the best thing to do."

"How long do you think it took you trying to track down Mr. Porter?" I asked.

"Ten minutes, more or less," Everett replied. "Had I been faster, I would've caught Porter!"

"But wasn't he arrested at the Media Center?" I pressed on. "He couldn't have been that far away, now could he?"

OBJECTION!

"The GaruruGame Media Center is a multilevel building with elevators serving as the only form of transport upwards or downwards," Bladeston interrupted. "The defendant could have been on any floor after leaving the Employee Lounge. Taking the elevator to check each floor one by one would have wasted more time… Like how this is going right now."

(Again with the "waste-of-time" thing! What's the rush?)

"Either way, I couldn't find Porter, and had no choice but to go back down," Everett said.

"And what about the victim?" the Judge asked.

"I was able to find someone to look after Mr. Fanners while I was out searching for that numbskull Porter."

HOLD IT!

"And who was this person?" I asked.

"Oh, just a teenager working part-time at the Media Center as an errand girl," Everett said blankly. "I didn't have enough time to look for a more professional one to look after Fanners, per se, so I had to settle with that girl."

(Errand girl, huh…?)

"Could you please describe this girl's appearance?" I asked.

"Oh, looking for more superfluous details, are we?" Everett said.

"Please just answer the question," I said, sweatdropping.

"Hmph. Whatever," Everett said. "I don't exactly remember what she looked like, but she has shoulder-length hair and was wearing a silly light purple hat."

"Anything else?" I pressed on.

"Bubblegum," Everett muttered without a thought. "I could tell she wasn't a true employee of the Media Center because of that. She kept chewing and chewing as I was giving her instructions. Quite annoying, really."

(Okay, now I know who she's talking about.)

"What was this girl's name?" I pressed further.

"How should I know?" Everett said. "I don't hinder myself with such miniscule details like the names of coffee-and-donut people. She was twenty minutes late, anyway."

"You just left Mr. Fanners in the care of someone you didn't even know?!" I yelled. "WHAT?!"

"I'd prefer you stop questioning my methodology," Everett glared at me again. "Besides…"

"I was more focused on finding Porter so I could give him the pink slip for assaulting a company administrator! There! That's all I have to say."

HOLD IT!

"You were more concerned about firing Mr. Porter?" I said.

"Yes," Everett admitted. "He was a nuisance to the company, and I thought the situation to be the best time to get rid of him. Moreover, I believed that Fanners would be just fine and awaken once I had gotten back… But that wasn't the case."

BANG!

"This cross-examination is now over," the Judge said. "Mr. Turner, do you still find Ms. Everett's actions on the night of the murder suspicious?"

"Well…" I tried to think of something to say, but couldn't.

"Then your claim was unfounded," the Judge said. "You know what the consequence of that is, don't you?"

(Wha… NO! NOT AGAIN! WAIT!!!)

"Just a minute, Your Honor!" I said, trying to get myself out of receiving a penalty. "Actually, yes, I still think Ms. Everett's actions are suspicious!"

"What?" Everett said, "Oh, you just won't accept the fact that you're wrong, won't you? Pathetic."

"Griff, are you sure about this?" Eddy asked. "You know, if they find out you're bluffing, you're done for!"

"I'm just playing it as I go, okay?" I said, and turned to Everett and the Judge again. "I, uh, noticed something… uh… not right with the, er, testimony."

"Would you care to tell the court what it is you find 'not right', Mr. Turner?" Bladeston said.

"S-Sure," I said. "I'd like to ask Ms. Everett a question…"

"Oh? And that is?" Everett asked. I braced myself, hoping to get the response I needed.

"Do you bear a grudge against both Mr. Sander Porter and Mr. Toby Fanners?" I asked.

"A grudge?" Everett laughed. "Ha! Against those types of characters? Of course not!"

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

THAT'S A LIE!!!

**WAHRHEITRON INTERROGATION PHASE**

I had a sigh of relief after my trap worked. Thankfully, I remembered that little bit of info Eddy gave me that morning, though I had some doubts about its importance to the case earlier. All I had to do then was get Everett to tell the truth and bring her EP's, a total of 80, down to zero. It wasn't too easy, yet wasn't too hard. All I had to do was ask the right questions, make the right guesses, and present the right evidence.

COURT RECORD:

ATTORNEY'S BADGE

- My treasured Attorney's Badge. Having it on makes me feel like a real man!

GUIDE MAP (Floor 1)

- A guide map for the ground floor of the GaruruGame Media Center.

GUIDE MAP (Floors 2-6)

- A guide map for floors 2 to 6.

CRIME PHOTO

- Snapshot of the victim, Toby Fanners, after death.

FANNERS' GOGGLES

- The victim's orange goggles. Bears Porter's fingerprints and appears to have been shoved along with Fanners.

FINGERPRINTING SET

- A bottle of aluminum flake powder and a small brush. Used for finding fingerprints.

FINGERPRINT MATCH-FINDER

- Scans witnesses' hands and enters their fingerprint pattern into the memory. Used to match fingerprints to their respective owners.

MAIN GENERATOR

- The machine that powers all the equipment inside the Virtual Reality Testing Room. Bears Porter's fingerprints.

PORTER'S FINGERPRINT

- Fingerprint of the defendant, Sander Porter. Found on the main generator inside the VRT Room.

CARD KEY

- Porter's Card Key. Opens the door to his office.

UMD CASE

- A case for a universal media disk. Found inside a folded towel in Porter's office.

FANNERS TEAM PHOTO

- A crumpled old photo of Sander Porter, Toby Fanners, and an unknown woman.

MEDIA CENTER STATISTICS ARTICLE

- Both Sander Porter and Toby Fanners were admins two years ago, and apparently also achieved the highest possible employee effort points.

AUTOPSY REPORT

- The victim's Autopsy Report. Death was caused by electrocution.

VRT ROOM FLOOR PLANS

- Floor plans to the Virtual Reality Testing Room.

(C'mon, Court Record! Don't fail me now!)

"A lie?" Everett taunted, "Don't make me laugh. I have absolutely no reason to bear ill will towards the both of them!"

"Sorry, but I know that's not true!" I said. "The reason you bear a grudge against both the defendant and the victim is because…"

"**They really were both nuisances."**

"**Both of them achieved something before you did."**

TAKE THAT!

"Both Mr. Fanners and Mr. Porter were able to achieve something important even before you were able to!" I said.

"… What of it, then?" Everett didn't budge, but I saw her Corpus Meter lose 5 EP's. "I am a high official. I need not bother myself with such minor annoyances like subordinates getting their own little doggie biscuits—"

OBJECTION!

"Subordinates?" I said, presenting the Media Center Statistics Article. "Maybe your memory really has gotten fuzzy, because according to these statistics two years ago, YOU were the subordinate… and you were working under the defendant, Sander Porter, who was then your superior!"

"HAGH!!!" Everett croaked, as she lost 10 EP's, "W-Where did you get those?!"

"Online archives!" I heard Eddy say in a smug way.

OBJECTION!

"I'd like to know," Bladeston stated, "Why exactly you insist on presenting unrelated evidence, Mr. Turner!"

OBJECTION!

"I'm afraid this evidence is anything but unrelated, Mr. Bladeston!" I retaliated. "See, the fact that the witness does bear ill will towards both the defendant and the victim leads me to this: **she has a motive to frame the defendant**!"

"Oh?" the Judge suddenly butted in, obviously trying to defend Everett. "And how would the witness possibly base a motive for framing the defendant on those statistics?!"

"I would like to find out for myself!" Everett said.

"Hmm. As do I," Bladeston added.

(Sheesh! What is this, "Gang-Up-On-The-Little-Defense-Attorney" Day:Sweatdrop:)

TAKE THAT!

"The basis for the witness wanting to frame the defendant is also in this article," I said, presenting the evidence again. "Two years ago, both Mr. Porter and Mr. Fanners were high administrators, and both were able to achieve the highest possible individual employee effort points. Currently, no one in the Media Center has been able to break that record, even Ms. Everett!"

"Grr…" Everett growled, trying to look unaffected, even though she lost another 10 EP's. "I… I don't care about those stupid things…"

RIGHT THERE!

"Nope, not this time!" I said, watching 5 more EP's drain away from Everett's Corpus Meter. "That expression you're wearing right now tells me that you do care about those figures, and that you do want to break that record!"

"Argh!" Everett croaked again, "I can't stand meddlesome fools like you! You want an answer? Fine! I'll admit it then! I do bear a grudge against those two, true, but that doesn't mean I had anything to do with this murder other than being a witness!"

OBJECTION!

"Sorry, but that's hard to believe as well—" I started to say, but Bladeston cut me off again.

OBJECTION!

"We are starting to drift away from the main matter here!" Bladeston said somewhat angrily, and did a desk slam. "Please get to the point!"

(Okay, okay! Geez, are you late for your date with your sword or something?)

"Alright, I'll get to the point," I nodded. "So we now know that, in actuality, the witness bore ill will towards both Mr. Porter and Mr. Fanners. This leads me to two conclusions: one, she wanted to frame Mr. Porter; and two, she did this… by murdering Mr. Fanners and putting the blame on Mr. Porter!"

"…" Everett stayed silent for a while, and let out a creepy witch cackle.

(GAH!!! Scary! I knew it! Everett's really a witch!)

"How amusing!" Everett began to leer again. "Looks like the tables have turned on you, Mr. Turner!"

(… Or not. Uh-oh, this doesn't look good:Gulp:)

"There is a flaw with your second claim, Mr. Turner," Bladeston said. "See, without having sufficient information on the murder weapon and not finding any fingerprints whatsoever on the victim's body other than those of the defendant's… **the witness COULD NOT have been the murderer!**"

"ACK!!!" I couldn't help but yell. "B-But… Maybe she wore gloves?"

"Oh, how I love how the tide rises and falls," Everett taunted as I saw myself lose 20 EP's. "Such a baseless assumption is why you are far from a professional! You might as well be that little boy who likes pretending to be a scientist that follows you around!"

"OKAY, NOW THAT'S GOING BELOW THE BELT!!!" Eddy tried to yell out to the entire courtroom, but I restrained him.

"We gotta stay calm, Eddy!" I said, even though I myself was getting pissed off at Everett's attitude.

"But Griff!" Eddy complained. "She's taking it too far! Implicate her now!"

(Argh… I wish I could… If Everett's not the murderer, then there's gotta be another reason why she moved the body! I know she did it!)

BANG!

"Mr. Turner, I think I've had enough of these shenanigans for today!" the Judge said angrily. "You have failed to prove that Ms. Everett was associated with the murder in a way other than witnessing it. Perhaps holding you under contempt of court will be helpful towards your sudden impulses!"

"C-C-CONTEMPT?!" I screeched. "N-No, wait! I…"

HOLD IT!

(What the… Bladeston?!)

"Just a minute, Your Honor," Bladeston said calmly. "I would just like to ask the witness a question before you allow her to leave the witness stand. As I am already late for my prescheduled plans, I think we have enough time to spare for this…"

(Oh, so now we have more than enough time? What the hell is wrong with you, Bladeston?)

"Ah, all right," the Judge, ever on the prosecution's side, said. "What is this question you'd like to ask Ms. Everett?"

"Ms. Everett," Bladeston began, "You mentioned a while ago that you left the unconscious Ms. Fanners in the care of an errand girl. Are you absolutely certain that you did not alter the scene of the crime before leaving to chase after the defendant?"

"Of course I didn't alter anything!" Everett said. "Even if I did, I wouldn't have had any time to do so. I was preoccupied with catching Porter—"

"Yes, yes, I know," Bladeston interrupted. "But you see, I just noticed a rather interesting thing whilst I was checking my own evidence during the defense's time-buying…" He presented his own copy of the Crime Photo. "I'd like to turn everyone's attention to the background. Unless I am mistaken, to whom does that little strand of hair belong to?"

"H-Hair?" Everett said, confused.

"It's obviously feminine hair," Bladeston said, and pointed to a really tiny spot on the photo that I didn't notice before. "Would you care to enlighten us as to who the owner of that is…?"

"I… I…" Everett stammered, starting to look nervous again. "I have n-no idea who that belongs to…"

(Huh? The Wahrheitron's picking up a voice pattern fluctuation! That means…)

OBJECTION!

"That strand of hair belongs to YOU, Ms. Everett!" I yelled, pointing at Everett. "You WERE around at the victim's time of death!!!"

"GAH!!!" Everett shrieked as she lost a whopping 50 EP's and drained her Corpus Meter down to zero. "No, that's not true!!!"

The crowd was at it again…

(Did Bladeston just… help me out a while ago…?)

**END WAHRHEITRON INTERROGATION PHASE**

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"ORDER!!!" the Judge hollered. "Ms. Everett! Were you really at the scene of the crime when the victim was killed? And… More importantly! Mr. Bladeston, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were helping out the defense!"

(You make it sound like the defense is the bad guy, Your Honor…)

"I'm going to have to disagree with you, Your Honor," Bladeston said. "See, the little strand of hair in the photo that conveniently was able to benefit the defense is an oversight on both the prosecution and the investigation team's part. I merely wanted to point that out. It would have also helped me in making sure that the witness today would not lie under oath. Helping the defense was a mere coincidence."

"Ah, I see…" the Judge was at a loss for words. "So, Ms. Everett… You really were at the murder scene when the victim was finished off by the electric shock?"

"That isn't true!" Everett said, and got overly defensive again. "B-Besides… Mr. Fanners had been dead for over 40 minutes. And I had returned there from my chase later than that… Someone else could have left that strand of hair there! I… I, um… I re… re… refuse… to test—"

(Oh no! She's gonna refuse to testify! I need to act quick!)

OBJECTION!

"Now is not the time to just stay quiet, Ms. Everett!" I said. "You—"

"N-No, wait," Everett suddenly said, and began to look more confident. "I take back my refusal to testify… Actually, I just remembered something… about that errand girl…"

(Shoot! She found a loophole!)

"Remember when I said that she was 20 minutes late?" Everett said. "Hmph… I don't suppose the defense is going to need higher mathematics for this one. I left at around 8, and the girl arrived at 8:20."

"8:20 is the victim's time of death!" the Judge said. "You can't be saying…"

"Yes, Your Honor!" Everett said. "That errand girl with the silly light purple hat… is the real murderer!!!"

"B-But… who is this errand girl?" the Judge asked.

"It slipped my mind earlier, but I remember her name now!" Everett said with a sinister grin. "CASSANDRA PORTER!!!"

"C-CASSANDRA?!" I yelled in shock.

"P-PORTER?!" the Judge was shocked as well. "Is she… a relative of the defendant?"

"Yes, Your Honor," Everett replied. "She's actually _the defendant's niece_."

OBJECTION!

"Witness, I am not sure you understand how this courtroom works," Bladeston said. "This 'Cassandra Porter'… The prosecution denies your implication of this person as the real murderer. We have received no information whatsoever on her relevance to this case. In fact, we have received no information on her at all. You cannot just walk in and say that this person is the real murderer!"

"Y-yes, I have to agree with Mr. Bladeston," the Judge said reluctantly.

"Hmph," Everett sneered, and looked at Bladeston. "I'm not sure you understand what your duties as a prosecutor are."

"You don't understand my point," Bladeston said coolly. "Under these circumstances, this trial cannot continue. Both the defense and the prosecution will need more time to prepare for this case, what with this sudden bringing-up of the defendant's niece."

"Y-Yeah, what he said!" I blurted out. "We, uh… Need more, er, time to prepare!"

"Hmph…" Everett muttered. "Incompetent fools."

BANG!

"I believe this is all we can do for today," the Judge said. "In lieu of this unexpected circumstance, I shall extend this trial one more day. I trust both the prosecution and the defense will have ample time to organize their cases?"

"Yes, Your Honor," Bladeston said.

"And what about you, Mr. Turner?" the Judge eyed me suspiciously.

"Uh… Yes, Your Honor," I said.

"Very well!" the Judge said, and banged his gavel. "Court is now adjourned!"

BANG!

* * *

**July 25, 1:34 PM; District Court, Defense Lobby**

"That sneaky, no-good grouch Everett!" Eddy said, "How dare she put the blame on Cassandra Porter? She didn't even do anything!"

"Hey, I agree with the nooblet!" I heard Porter say.

"M-Mr. Porter!" Eddy said. "You heard about what happened during the trial?"

"Yeah, I heard about it!" Porter fumed. "That friggen witch Terra Everett's gone way outta line this time! Why, if I was still a high admin… I'd not only give her fifty infraction points, hell no! I'd make sure she got every pink slip in the Media Center, kick her out, and have her transferred to the branch in Mojave Desert! What the friggen hell did my niece ever do to her, huh?!"

(Boy, he sure is angry…)

"Well, she admitted that she had a grudge against you and Mr. Fanners," I said. "Maybe she's just trying to think of a way to get back at you or something."

"Well, why'd she hafta involve Cassandra?!" Porter bellowed.

"Well at least you're not under suspicion anymore, right?" Eddy said in attempt to calm down Porter.

"…" Porter glared at Eddy like a bull staring at a red sheet of cloth.

"… Or maybe not," Eddy said, and hid behind me.

"Look, we didn't like how things turned out either," I said. "But right now we need to make the best use of our time and find all the evidence we can to figure out who the real murderer is."

"Ain't it obvious?!" Porter growled. "Terra Everett!"

"Yeah, but nothing was found at the crime scene that could incriminate her, except for that strand of hair," I said. "And even then, that's not enough since we're not really sure about it yet."

"I swear…" Porter said again, "If I was still a high admin… I'd skin that snooty, good-for-nothin'-but-drillin'-holes-on-rotating-chairs woman alive!"

(Note to self: do not go anywhere near Sander Porter whenever he threatens to skin someone alive. :Gulp:)

"Say…" Eddy suddenly said, "How come you were demoted from being a high admin anyway, Mr. Porter?"

"… That's really nothing important to talk about," Porter said. "Right now I suggest you two go find Cassandra!"

Porter was really angry at the time, so we had no choice but to find Cassandra. I had my suspicions that the police already arrested her and put her in the Detention Center, so Eddy and I decided to go there first. A lot of things still bugged me, though, like what exact role Terra Everett played in that murder, why Porter was demoted from his previous position and how he and Fanners stopped being friends, why Bladeston was acting so weird during the trial, and that unknown woman from the photo…

(I think I need an aspirin.)


End file.
